Here are some idioms and words that you can use to talk about ability and the lack thereof.
Ability Vocabulary
Let’s start with the positive ones, so the ones used to talk about your abilities:
have a way with sb / sth – handle or deal well with sb or sth
She’s always had a way with her husband. I’m sure she’ll get him to buy the house from you.
have what it takes – have the courage or features necessary to achieve sth
I’m glad he was elected President. He has what it takes to be a great leader.
up to sth – capable of something, fit enough for something
He broke his leg and was definitely not up to going back to work.
equal to sb / sth – able to handle or deal with sb or sth
I’d like to help you, but I’m not equal to your problem, I’m afraid. Maybe you could ask someone else.
have sth on the ball – be smart and clever
Although they are twins, Mike has a lot on the ball and Luke learns very slowly.
have the Midas /ˈmaɪdəs/ touch – have the ability to be successful, especially to make money easily
He was born in one of the poorest districts of the city, but he turned out to have the Midas touch and became very rich before he graduated from college.
hard put / pressed to do sth – able to do sth only with great difficulty
I’m hard put to help my kids solve the math problems they get from school. And it’s only going to get worse.
to the best of one’s ability – as well as one can
Well, it’s not exactly what I was expecting from you, but I know you worked to the best of your ability.
knack – an ability, talent, or special skill needed to do sth
Their father has a knack for telling interesting stories.
bent – a natural talent or interest
I think you should join the class for students with a creative bent. Your sculptures look really good.
Lack of Ability Idioms
And now some negative ones:
over one’s head – beyond one’s understanding or ability
When I started the business I thought everything would be easy, but I soon realized that I was over my head.
beyond one’s depth – beyond one’s understanding or capabilities
She’s pretty good at math, but this problem seems to be beyond her depth.
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