LEARN ENGLISH: PHRASAL VERBS

PHRASAL VERBS


Act up
1-misbehave;
If a child is acting up, they are behaving badly.

2-not work properly
If something is acting up, it is not working properly.

Add up

1-logically fit
If something that someone has said or done adds up, it is reasonable and sensible.

2-find the total
If small amounts of something add up, they gradually increase.

Ask after

1-inquire about
If someone asks after you, they ask someone how you are.

Back up
1-move backward
If you back up, you move backwards a short distance.

2- make a “protection” copy
If you back up a computer file, you make a copy of it which you can use if the original file is damaged or lost.

3-support someone
If you back someone up, you show your support for them.

Bargain for

1-take into account
If you have not bargained for or bargained on something that happens, you did not expect it to happen and so feel surprised or worried by it.

Break down

1-to lose control emotionally or mentally
If someone breaks down, they lose control of themselves and start crying.

2-stop working
If a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

Break in

1-enter by force
If someone, usually a thief, breaks in, they get into a building by force.

Break out (of )

1-to start, usually suddenly
If something such as war, fighting, or disease breaks out, it begins suddenly.

2-escape
If a prisoner breaks out of a prison, they escape from it.

Break up

1-to end
If you break up with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife, your relationship with that person ends.
When a meeting or gathering breaks up or when someone breaks it up, it is brought to an end and the people involved in it leave.

2-to separate
If a marriage breaks up or if someone breaks it up, the marriage ends and the partners separate.

Bring about

1-cause to happen
To bring something about means to cause it to happen.

Bring up

1-raise; rear to take care of a child
When someone brings up a child, they look after it until it is an adult. If someone has been brought up in a certain place or with certain attitudes, they grew up in that place or were taught those attitudes when they were growing up.

Brush up

1-to improve your knowledge skill, or memory
If you brush up something or brush up on it, you practise it or improve your knowledge of it.

Call off

1-cancel something that has been scheduled
If you call off an event that has been planned, you cancel it.
Call on 1-ask someone for an answer/ action
If you call on someone to do something or call upon them to do it, you say publicly that you want them to do it.

2-pay a short visit
If you call on someone or call upon someone, you pay them a short visit.

Care for

1-take care of;
If you care for someone or something, you look after them and keep them in a good state or condition.

2-supply care to
If you care for someone, you feel a lot of affection for them.

Check in(to) at a hotel an airport etc

1-to report one's arrival
When you check in at an airport, you arrive and show your ticket before going on a flight.

2-register for at a hotel, conference, etc
When you check in or check into a hotel or clinic, or if someone checks you in, you arrive and go through the necessary procedures before you stay there.

Come about

1-happen
When you say how or when something came about, you say how or when it happened.
Any possible solution to the Palestinian question can only come about through dialogue.

Come across someone or something

1-to find (unexpectedly) or meet by chance
If you come across something or someone, you find them or meet them by chance.

Come up

1-occur
If something comes up in a conversation or meeting, it is mentioned or discussed.
The subject came up at a news conference in Peking today.
If something is coming up, it is about to happen or take place.
We do have elections coming up.

Count on

1-depend on; rely on
If you count on someone or count upon them, you rely on them to support you or help you.

Cross out

1-show that something written is wrong or unnecessary by making an X across it
If you cross out words on a page, you draw a line through them, because they are wrong or because you want to change them.

Cut down on

1-to reduce in size or amount
If you cut down on something or cut down something, you use or do less of it.
He cut down on coffee and cigarettes, and ate a balanced diet.

Do over

1-do something again
If you do a task over, you perform it again from the beginning.

Drop in

1-to pay a short visit, often without warning
If you drop in on someone, you visit them informally, usually without having arranged it.

Fall back on

1-use as a last resort
If you fall back on something, you do it or use it after other things have failed.

Fall for

1-be deceived
If you fall for a lie or trick, you believe it or are deceived by it.

2-fall in love
If you fall for someone, you are strongly attracted to them and start loving them.

Figure out

1-logically find the answer to a problem; solve a problem by thinking about it carefully
If you figure out a solution to a problem or the reason for something, you succeed in solving it or understanding it.

Fill in

1-add information to a form
to complete a ( form)
If you fill in a form or other document requesting information, you write information in the spaces on it.

Find out

1-to make an effort to discover or get to know (something)
If you find something out, you learn something that you did not already know, especially by making a deliberate effort to do so.

Get away

1-to escape
When someone or something gets away, or when you get them away, they escape.

Get rid of

1-dispose of
give away or throw away
When you get rid of something that you do not want or do not like, you take action so that you no longer have it or suffer from it.
If you get rid of someone who is causing problems for you or who you do not like, you do something to prevent them affecting you any more, for example by making them leave.

Give away

1-betray
If you give away information that should be kept secret, you reveal it to other people.

Give in

1-to stop resisting; to surrender
If you give in, you admit that you are defeated or that you cannot do something.

Give up

1-to surrender oneself usually to someone
to stop trying to do something
If you give up something, you stop doing it or having it.
If you give up, you decide that you cannot do something and stop trying to do it.
If you give up your job, you resign from it.

Hand in

1-submit homework. an assignment etc.
If you hand in something such as homework or something that you have found, you give it to a teacher, police officer, or other person in authority.

Hand out

1-distribute
If you hand things out to people, you give one or more to each person in a group.

Hold on

1-to wait (especially on the telephone)
If you ask someone to hold on, you are asking them to wait for a short time.

Hold out

1-offer - especially with hope
If you hold out hope of something happening, you hope that in the future something will happen as you want it to.

Hold up

1-raise; lift to a higher-than-normal position
If you hold up your hand or something you have in your hand, you move it upwards into a particular position and keep it there.

Keep on

1-continue
If you keep on doing something, you do it repeatedly or continue to do it.

Lay off

1-to stop employing (a worker)
If workers are laid off, they are told by their employers to leave their job, usually because there is no more work for them to do.

Leave out

1-forget
If you leave someone or something out of an activity, collection, discussion, or group, you do not include them in it.

2-omit
If someone feels left out, they feel sad because they are not included in a group or activity.

Let down

1-to disappoint someone
If you let someone down, you disappoint them, by not doing something that you have said you will do or that they expected you to do.

Look after

1-to take care of
If you look after someone or something, you do what is necessary to keep them healthy, safe, or in good condition.
If you look after something, you are responsible for it and deal with it or make sure it is all right, especially because it is your job to do so.

Look back on

1-to remember and think about the past
If you look back, you think about things that happened in the past.

Look down on

1-regard as inferior
To look down on someone means to consider that person to be inferior or unimportant, usually when this is not true.

Look forward

1-anticipate pleasantly
If you look forward to something that is going to happen, you want it to happen because you think you will enjoy it.

Look like

1-resemble (in appearance)
If you look like a member of your family, you resemble them in your appearance, your behaviour, or your character.

Look up

1-try to find something in a book
If you look up a fact or a piece of information, you find it out by looking in something such as a reference book or a list.

Make out

1-understand
If you try to make something out, you try to understand it or decide whether or not it is true.

Make up

1-invent; create (imaginary) information
If you make up something such as a story or excuse, you invent it, sometimes in order to deceive people.

Pass away

1-to die
You can say that someone passed away to mean that they died, if you want to avoid using the word `die' because you think it might upset or offend people.

Pay back

1-take revenge
If you pay someone back for doing something unpleasant to you, you take your revenge on them or make them suffer for what they did.

Pick out

1-choose; select
If you pick out someone or something, you choose them from a group of people or things.

Pick up

1-lift
When you pick something up, you lift it up.
When you pick up someone or something that is waiting to be collected, you go to the place where they are and take them away, often in a car.

2-improve
If trade or the economy of a country picks up, it improves.

3-learn / acquire a skill..
If you pick up something such as a skill or an idea, you acquire it without effort over a period of time.

Put in for

1-apply for a job
If you put in a request or put in for something, you formally request or apply for that thing.

Put off

1-postpone
If you put something off, you delay doing it.

2-delay
If you put someone off, you make them wait for something that they want.

Put on

1-begin to wear; to dress oneself
When you put on clothing or make-up, you place it on your body in order to wear it.

Put through

1-to connect a telephone caller to the number
When someone puts through someone who is making a telephone call, they make the connection that allows the telephone call to take place.

Put up with

1-tolerate; bear
If you put up with something, you tolerate or accept it, even though you find it unpleasant or unsatisfactory.

Run into

1-meet by chance
If you run into someone, you meet them unexpectedly.

Run out of

1-to use all of (something) and have no more left
If you run out of something, you have no more of it left.
If something runs out, it becomes used up so that there is no more left.

Run up against

1-encounter (usually a problem)
If you run up against problems, you suddenly begin to experience them.

See someone off

1-to say goodbye to someone
When you see someone off, you go with them to the station, airport, or port that they are leaving from, and say goodbye to them there.

Set off

1-to start a journey
When you set off, you start a journey.

Set up

1-make arrangements
If you set something up, you create or arrange it.

Sort out

1-find a solution
If you sort out a problem or the details of something, you do what is necessary to solve the problem or organize the details.

Stand for

1-to represent or mean; to be a sign or short form of something
If you say that a letter stands for a particular word, you mean that it is an abbreviation for that word.

Take after

1-resemble; (in appearance)
If you take after a member of your family, you resemble them in your appearance, your behaviour, or your character.

Take care of

1-provide care for
If you take care of someone or something, you look after them and prevent them from being harmed or damaged.

Take off

1-to remove anything that is worn on the body (especially clothes)
If you take clothes off, you remove them.

Take over

1-gain control
If you take over a company, you get control of it, for example by buying its shares.
If someone takes over a country or building, they get control of it by force, for example with the help of the army.

Tell (someone) off

1-speak to someone negatively
If you tell someone off, you speak to them angrily or seriously because they have done something wrong.

Think over

1-to consider carefully
If you think something over, you consider it carefully before making a decision.

Throw away

1-discard; put in the garbage
When you throw away or throw out something that you do not want, you get rid of it, for example by putting it in a rubbish container.

Turn down

1-decrease the volume
When you turn down a radio, heater, or other piece of equipment, you reduce the amount of sound or heat being produced, by adjusting the controls.

2-refuse to or reject
If you turn down a person or their request or offer, you refuse their request or offer.

Turn off / out

1- switch off
When you turn off / out something such as a light or gas, you move the or knob that controls it so that it stops giving out light or heat.

Wait for

1-wait until someone / something arrives
When you wait for something or someone, you spend some time doing very little, because you cannot act until that thing happens or that person arrives.

Wake up

1-stop sleeping
If something such as an activity wakes you up, it makes you more alert and ready to do things after you have been lazy or inactive.

Watch out for

1-be careful of; beware of
If you tell someone to watch out, you are warning them to be careful, because something unpleasant might happen to them or they might get into difficulties.

Wear off

1-to disappear gradually
If a sensation or feeling wears off, it disappears slowly until it no longer exists or has any effect.

Work out

1-find a solution to a problem
If you work out a solution to a problem or mystery, you manage to find the solution by thinking or talking about it.
If you work out the answer to a mathematical problem, you calculate it.

2-exercise (usually in a gym, etc.) to build muscles, body tone etc
If you work out, you do physical exercises in order to make your body fit and strong.