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Phrasal Verbs and other multi-word verbs
Phrasal verbs are part of a large group of verbs called "multi-word verbs". Phrasal verbs and other multi-word verbs are an important part of the English language. Multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, are very common, especially in spoken English. A multi-word verb is a verb like "pick up", "turn on" or "get on with". For convenience, many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. These verbs consist of a basic verb + another word or words. The other word(s) can be prepositions and/or adverbs. The two or three words that make up multi-word verbs form a short "phrase" - which is why these verbs are often all called "phrasal verbs".
The important thing to remember is that a multi-word verb is still a verb. "Get" is a verb. "Get up", is also a verb, a different verb. "Get" and "get up" are two different verbs. They do not have the same meaning. So you should treat each multi-word verb as a separate verb, and learn it like any other verb. Look at these examples. You can see that there are three types of multi-word verb:
|single-word verb |look |direct your eyes in a certain direction |You must look before you leap. |
|multi-word verbs|prepositional verbs |look after |take care of |Who is looking after the baby? |
| |phrasal verbs |look up |search for and find information in a |You can look up my number in the telephone|
| | | |reference book |directory. |
| |phrasal-prepositional |look forward to |anticipate with pleasure |I look forward to meeting you. |
| |verbs | | | |
In this lesson we look at the three types of multi-word verbs, including phrasal verbs, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:
• Phrasal Verbs
• Prepositional Verbs
• Phrasal-prepositional Verbs
• Phrasal Verbs Quiz
Like many grammar books, we divide multi-word verbs into:
• prepositional verbs
• phrasal verbs
• phrasal-prepositional verbs
Other grammars, however, call all multi-word verbs "phrasal verbs".
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are a group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal verbs proper.
Phrasal verbs are made of:
verb + adverb
Phrasal verbs can be:
• intransitive (no direct object)
• transitive (direct object)
Here are some examples of phrasal verbs:
| |phrasal verbs |meaning |examples |
| | | | |direct object |
|intransitive |get up |rise from bed |I don't like to get up. | |
|phrasal verbs| | | | |
| |break down |cease to function |He was late because his car broke down. | |
|transitive |put off |postpone |We will have to put off |the meeting. |
|phrasal verbs| | | | |
| |turn down |refuse |They turned down |my offer. |
Separable Phrasal Verbs
When phrasal verbs are transitive (that is, they have a direct object), we can usually separate the two parts. For example, "turn down" is a separable phrasal verb. We can say: "turn down my offer" or "turn my offer down". Look at this table:
|transitive phrasal verbs are |[pic] |They |turned | |down |my offer. |
|separable | | | | | | |
| |[pic] |They |turned |my offer |down. | |
However, if the direct object is a pronoun, we have no choice. We must separate the phrasal verb and insert the pronoun between the two parts. Look at this example with the separable phrasal verb "switch on":
|direct object pronouns|[pic] |John |
|must go between the | | |
|two parts of | | |
|transitive phrasal | | |
|verbs | | |
| | | |direct object |
|believe in |have faith in the existence of |I believe in |God. |
|look after |take care of |He is looking after |the dog. |
|talk about |discuss |Did you talk about |me? |
|wait for |await |John is waiting for |Mary. |
Prepositional verbs cannot be separated. That means that we cannot put the direct object between the two parts. For example, we must say "look after the baby". We cannot say "look the baby after":
|prepositional verbs are inseparable |[pic] |Who is looking after the baby? |This is possible. |
| |[pic] |Who is looking the baby after? |This is not possible. |
It is a good idea to write "something/somebody" in your vocabulary book when you learn a new prepositional verb, like this:
• believe in something/somebody
• look after sthg/sby
This reminds you that this verb needs a direct object (and where to put it).
Phrasal-prepositional Verbs
Phrasal-prepositional verbs are a small group of multi-word verbs made from a verb plus another word or words. Many people refer to all multi-word verbs as phrasal verbs. On these pages we make a distinction between three types of multi-word verbs: prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. On this page we look at phrasal-prepositional verbs.
Phrasal-prepositional verbs are made of:
verb + adverb + preposition
Look at these examples of phrasal-prepositional verbs:
|phrasal-prepositional verbs |meaning |examples |
| | | |direct object |
|get on with |have a friendly relationship with |He doesn't get on with |his wife. |
|put up with |tolerate |I won't put up with |your attitude. |
|look forward to |anticipate with pleasure |I look forward to |seeing you. |
|run out of |use up, exhaust |We have run out of |eggs. |
Because phrasal-prepositional verbs end with a preposition, there is always a direct object. And, like prepositional verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs cannot be separated. Look at these examples:
|phrasal-prepositional verbs are |[pic] |We |ran out of |fuel. |
|inseparable | | | | |
| |[pic] |We |ran out of |it. |
Now check your understanding »
It is a good idea to write "something/somebody" in your vocabulary book when you learn a new phrasal-prepositional verb, like this:
• get on with somebody
• put up with sthg/sby
• run out of something
This reminds you that this verb needs a direct object (and where to put it).
Phrasal Verbs Quiz
Phrasal Verbs List
This is a list of about 200 common phrasal verbs, with meanings and examples. Phrasal verbs are usually two-word phrases consisting of verb + adverb or verb + preposition. Think of them as you would any other English vocabulary. Study them as you come across them, rather than trying to memorize many at once. Use the list below as a reference guide when you find an expression that you don't recognize. The examples will help you understand the meanings. If you think of each phrasal verb as a separate verb with a specific meaning, you will be able to remember it more easily. Like many other verbs, phrasal verbs often have more than one meaning. As well as learning their meanings, you need to learn how to use phrasal verbs properly. Some phrasal verbs require a direct object (someone/something), while others do not. Some phrasal verbs can be separated by the object, while others cannot. Review the grammar lesson on phrasal verbs from time to time so that you don't forget the rules!
Most phrasal verbs consist of two words, but a few consist of three words, which always stay together.
|Verb |Meaning |Example |
|ask someone out |invite on a date |Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie. |
|ask around |ask many people the same question |I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet. |
|add up to something |equal |Your purchases add up to $205.32. |
|back something up |reverse |You'll have to back up your car so that I can get out. |
|back someone up |support |My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job. |
|blow up |explode |The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence. |
|blow something up |add air |We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party. |
|break down |stop functioning (vehicle, machine) |Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the |
| | |snowstorm. |
|break down |get upset |The woman broke down when the police told her that her son |
| | |had died. |
|break something down |divide into smaller parts |Our teacher broke the final project down into three |
| | |separate parts. |
|break in |force entry to a building |Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo. |
|break into something |enter forcibly |The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the |
| | |children. |
|break something in |wear something a few times so that it doesn't |I need to break these shoes in before we run next week. |
| |look/feel new | |
|break in |interrupt |The TV station broke in to report the news of the |
| | |president's death. |
|break up |end a relationship |My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America. |
|break up |start laughing (informal) |The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started |
| | |talking. |
|break out |escape |The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren't |
| | |looking. |
|break out in something |develop a skin condition |I broke out in a rash after our camping trip. |
|bring someone down |make unhappy |This sad music is bringing me down. |
|bring someone up |raise a child |My grandparents brought me up after my parents died. |
|bring something up |start talking about a subject |My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up |
| | |sports. |
|bring something up |vomit |He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the |
| | |toilet. |
|call around |phone many different places/people |We called around but we weren't able to find the car part |
| | |we needed. |
|call someone back |return a phone call |I called the company back but the offices were closed for |
| | |the weekend. |
|call something off |cancel |Jason called the wedding off because he wasn't in love with|
| | |his fiancé. |
|call on someone |ask for an answer or opinion |The professor called on me for question 1. |
|call on someone |visit someone |We called on you last night but you weren't home. |
|call someone up |phone |Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we |
| | |are in town. |
|calm down |relax after being angry |You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive |
| | |the car. |
|not care for someone/something |not like (formal) |I don't care for his behaviour. |
|catch up |get to the same point as someone else |You'll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up|
| | |with Marty. |
|check in |arrive and register at a hotel or airport |We will get the hotel keys when we check in. |
|check out |leave a hotel |You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM. |
|check someone/something out |look at carefully, investigate |The company checks out all new employees. |
|check out someone/something |look at (informal) |Check out the crazy hair on that guy! |
|cheer up |become happier |She cheered up when she heard the good news. |
|cheer someone up |make happier |I brought you some flowers to cheer you up. |
|chip in |help |If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by |
| | |noon. |
|clean something up |tidy, clean |Please clean up your bedroom before you go outside. |
|come across something |find unexpectedly |I came across these old photos when I was tidying the |
| | |closet. |
|come apart |separate |The top and bottom come apart if you pull hard enough. |
|come down with something |become sick |My nephew came down with chicken pox this weekend. |
|come forward |volunteer for a task or to give evidence |The woman came forward with her husband's finger prints. |
|come from somewhere |originate in |The art of origami comes from Asia. |
|count on someone/something |rely on |I am counting on you to make dinner while I am out. |
|cross something out |draw a line through |Please cross out your old address and write your new one. |
|cut back on something |consume less |My doctor wants me to cut back on sweets and fatty foods. |
|cut something down |make something fall to the ground |We had to cut the old tree in our yard down after the |
| | |storm. |
|cut in |interrupt |Your father cut in while I was dancing with your uncle. |
|cut in |pull in too closely in front of another vehicle |The bus driver got angry when that car cut in. |
|cut in |start operating (of an engine or electrical |The air conditioner cuts in when the temperature gets to |
| |device) |22°C. |
|cut something off |remove with something sharp |The doctors cut off his leg because it was severely |
| | |injured. |
|cut something off |stop providing |The phone company cut off our phone because we didn't pay |
| | |the bill. |
|cut someone off |take out of a will |My grandparents cut my father off when he remarried. |
|cut something out |remove part of something (usually with scissors |I cut this ad out of the newspaper. |
| |and paper) | |
|do someone/something over |beat up, ransack (Br.E., informal) |He's lucky to be alive. His shop was done over by a street |
| | |gang. |
|do something over |do again (N.Amer.) |My teacher wants me to do my essay over because she doesn't|
| | |like my topic. |
|do away with something |discard |It's time to do away with all of these old tax records. |
|do something up |fasten, close |Do your coat up before you go outside. It's snowing! |
|dress up |wear nice clothing |It's a fancy restaurant so we have to dress up. |
|drop back |move back in a position/group |Andrea dropped back to third place when she fell off her |
| | |bike. |
|drop in/by/over |come without an appointment |I might drop in/by/over for tea some time this week. |
|drop someone/something off |take someone/something somewhere and leave them/it|I have to drop my sister off at work before I come over. |
| |there | |
|drop out |quit a class, school etc |I dropped out of Science because it was too difficult. |
|eat out |eat at a restaurant |I don't feel like cooking tonight. Let's eat out. |
|end up |eventually reach/do/decide |We ended up renting a movie instead of going to the |
| | |theatre. |
|fall apart |break into pieces |My new dress fell apart in the washing machine. |
|fall down |fall to the ground |The picture that you hung up last night fell down this |
| | |morning. |
|fall out |separate from an interior |The money must have fallen out of my pocket. |
|fall out |(of hair, teeth) become loose and unattached |His hair started to fall out when he was only 35. |
|figure something out |understand, find the answer |I need to figure out how to fit the piano and the bookshelf|
| | |in this room. |
|fill something in |to write information in blanks (Br.E.) |Please fill in the form with your name, address, and phone |
| | |number. |
|fill something out |to write information in blanks (N.Amer.) |The form must be filled out in capital letters. |
|fill something up |fill to the top |I always fill the water jug up when it is empty. |
|find out |discover |We don't know where he lives. How can we find out? |
|find something out |discover |We tried to keep the time of the party a secret, but |
| | |Samantha found it out. |
|get something across/over |communicate, make understandable |I tried to get my point across/over to the judge but she |
| | |wouldn't listen. |
|get along/on |like each other |I was surprised how well my new girlfriend and my sister |
| | |got along/on. |
|get around |have mobility |My grandfather can get around fine in his new wheelchair. |
|get away |go on a vacation |We worked so hard this year that we had to get away for a |
| | |week. |
|get away with something |do without being noticed or punished |Jason always gets away with cheating in his maths tests. |
|get back |return |We got back from our vacation last week. |
|get something back |receive something you had before |Liz finally got her Science notes back from my room-mate. |
|get back at someone |retaliate, take revenge |My sister got back at me for stealing her shoes. She stole |
| | |my favourite hat. |
|get back into something |become interested in something again |I finally got back into my novel and finished it. |
|get on something |step onto a vehicle |We're going to freeze out here if you don't let us get on |
| | |the bus. |
|get over something |recover from an illness, loss, difficulty |I just got over the flu and now my sister has it. |
|get over something |overcome a problem |The company will have to close if it can't get over the new|
| | |regulations. |
|get round to something |finally find time to do (N.Amer.: get around to |I don't know when I am going to get round to writing the |
| |something) |thank you cards. |
|get together |meet (usually for social reasons) |Let's get together for a BBQ this weekend. |
|get up |get out of bed |I got up early today to study for my exam. |
|get up |stand |You should get up and give the elderly man your seat. |
|give someone away |reveal hidden information about someone |His wife gave him away to the police. |
|give someone away |take the bride to the altar |My father gave me away at my wedding. |
|give something away |ruin a secret |My little sister gave the surprise party away by accident. |
|give something away |give something to someone for free |The library was giving away old books on Friday. |
|give something back |return a borrowed item |I have to give these skates back to Franz before his hockey|
| | |game. |
|give in |reluctantly stop fighting or arguing |My boyfriend didn't want to go to the ballet, but he |
| | |finally gave in. |
|give something out |give to many people (usually at no cost) |They were giving out free perfume samples at the department|
| | |store. |
|give something up |quit a habit |I am giving up smoking as of January 1st. |
|give up |stop trying |My maths homework was too difficult so I gave up. |
|go after someone |follow someone |My brother tried to go after the thief in his car. |
|go after something |try to achieve something |I went after my dream and now I am a published writer. |
|go against someone |compete, oppose |We are going against the best soccer team in the city |
| | |tonight. |
|go ahead |start, proceed |Please go ahead and eat before the food gets cold. |
|go back |return to a place |I have to go back home and get my lunch. |
|go out |leave home to go on a social event |We're going out for dinner tonight. |
|go out with someone |date |Jesse has been going out with Luke since they met last |
| | |winter. |
|go over something |review |Please go over your answers before you submit your test. |
|go over |visit someone nearby |I haven't seen Tina for a long time. I think I'll go over |
| | |for an hour or two. |
|go without something |suffer lack or deprivation |When I was young, we went without winter boots. |
|grow apart |stop being friends over time |My best friend and I grew apart after she changed schools. |
|grow back |regrow |My roses grew back this summer. |
|grow up |become an adult |When Jack grows up he wants to be a fireman. |
|grow out of something |get too big for |Elizabeth needs a new pair of shoes because she has grown |
| | |out of her old ones. |
|grow into something |grow big enough to fit |This bike is too big for him now, but he should grow into |
| | |it by next year. |
|hand something down |give something used to someone else |I handed my old comic books down to my little cousin. |
|hand something in |submit |I have to hand in my essay by Friday. |
|hand something out |to distribute to a group of people |We will hand out the invitations at the door. |
|hand something over |give (usually unwillingly) |The police asked the man to hand over his wallet and his |
| | |weapons. |
|hang in |stay positive (N.Amer., informal) |Hang in there. I'm sure you'll find a job very soon. |
|hang on |wait a short time (informal) |Hang on while I grab my coat and shoes! |
|hang out |spend time relaxing (informal) |Instead of going to the party we are just going to hang out|
| | |at my place. |
|hang up |end a phone call |He didn't say goodbye before he hung up. |
|hold someone/something back |prevent from doing/going |I had to hold my dog back because there was a cat in the |
| | |park. |
|hold something back |hide an emotion |Jamie held back his tears at his grandfather's funeral. |
|hold on |wait a short time |Please hold on while I transfer you to the Sales |
| | |Department. |
|hold onto someone/something |hold firmly using your hands or arms |Hold onto your hat because it's very windy outside. |
|hold someone/somethingup |rob |A man in a black mask held the bank up this morning. |
|keep on doing something |continue doing |Keep on stirring until the liquid comes to a boil. |
|keep something from someone |not tell |We kept our relationship from our parents for two years. |
|keep someone/something out |stop from entering |Try to keep the wet dog out of the living room. |
|keep something up |continue at the same rate |If you keep those results up you will get into a great |
| | |college. |
|let someone down |fail to support or help, disappoint |I need you to be on time. Don't let me down this time. |
|let someone in |allow to enter |Can you let the cat in before you go to school? |
|look after someone/something |take care of |I have to look after my sick grandmother. |
|look down on someone |think less of, consider inferior |Ever since we stole that chocolate bar your dad has looked |
| | |down on me. |
|look for someone/something |try to find |I'm looking for a red dress for the wedding. |
|look forward to something |be excited about the future |I'm looking forward to the Christmas break. |
|look into something |investigate |We are going to look into the price of snowboards today. |
|look out |be careful, vigilant, and take notice |Look out! That car's going to hit you! |
|look out for someone/something |be especially vigilant for |Don't forget to look out for snakes on the hiking trail. |
|look something over |check, examine |Can you look over my essay for spelling mistakes? |
|look something up |search and find information in a reference book or|We can look her phone number up on the Internet. |
| |database | |
|look up to someone |have a lot of respect for |My little sister has always looked up to me. |
|make something up |invent, lie about something |Josie made up a story about about why we were late. |
|make up |forgive each other |We were angry last night, but we made up at breakfast. |
|make someone up |apply cosmetics to |My sisters made me up for my graduation party. |
|mix something up |confuse two or more things |I mixed up the twins' names again! |
|pass away |die |His uncle passed away last night after a long illness. |
|pass out |faint |It was so hot in the church that an elderly lady passed |
| | |out. |
|pass something out |give the same thing to many people |The professor passed the textbooks out before class. |
|pass something up |decline (usually something good) |I passed up the job because I am afraid of change. |
|pay someone back |return owed money |Thanks for buying my ticket. I'll pay you back on Friday. |
|pay for something |be punished for doing something bad |That bully will pay for being mean to my little brother. |
|pick something out |choose |I picked out three sweaters for you to try on. |
|point someone/something out |indicate with your finger |I'll point my boyfriend out when he runs by. |
|put something down |put what you are holding on a surface or floor |You can put the groceries down on the kitchen counter. |
|put someone down |insult, make someone feel stupid |The students put the substitute teacher down because his |
| | |pants were too short. |
|put something off |postpone |We are putting off our trip until January because of the |
| | |hurricane. |
|put something out |extinguish |The neighbours put the fire out before the firemen arrived.|
|put something together |assemble |I have to put the crib together before the baby arrives. |
|put up with someone/something |tolerate |I don't think I can put up with three small children in the|
| | |car. |
|put something on |put clothing/accessories on your body |Don't forget to put on your new earrings for the party. |
|run into someone/something |meet unexpectedly |I ran into an old school-friend at the mall. |
|run over someone/something |drive a vehicle over a person or thing |I accidentally ran over your bicycle in the driveway. |
|run over/through something |rehearse, review |Let's run over/through these lines one more time before the|
| | |show. |
|run away |leave unexpectedly, escape |The child ran away from home and has been missing for three|
| | |days. |
|run out |have none left |We ran out of shampoo so I had to wash my hair with soap. |
|send something back |return (usually by mail) |My letter got sent back to me because I used the wrong |
| | |stamp. |
|set something up |arrange, organize |Our boss set a meeting up with the president of the |
| | |company. |
|set someone up |trick, trap |The police set up the car thief by using a hidden camera. |
|shop around |compare prices |I want to shop around a little before I decide on these |
| | |boots. |
|show off |act extra special for people watching (usually |He always shows off on his skateboard |
| |boastfully) | |
|sleep over |stay somewhere for the night (informal) |You should sleep over tonight if the weather is too bad to |
| | |drive home. |
|sort something out |organize, resolve a problem |We need to sort the bills out before the first of the |
| | |month. |
|stick to something |continue doing something, limit yourself to one |You will lose weight if you stick to the diet. |
| |particular thing | |
|switch something off |stop the energy flow, turn off |The light's too bright. Could you switch it off. |
|switch something on |start the energy flow, turn on |We heard the news as soon as we switched on the car radio. |
|take after someone |resemble a family member |I take after my mother. We are both impatient. |
|take something apart |purposely break into pieces |He took the car brakes apart and found the problem. |
|take something back |return an item |I have to take our new TV back because it doesn't work. |
|take off |start to fly |My plane takes off in five minutes. |
|take something off |remove something (usually clothing) |Take off your socks and shoes and come in the lake! |
|take something out |remove from a place or thing |Can you take the garbage out to the street for me? |
|take someone out |pay for someone to go somewhere with you |My grandparents took us out for dinner and a movie. |
|tear something up |rip into pieces |I tore up my ex-boyfriend's letters and gave them back to |
| | |him. |
|think back |remember (often + to, sometimes + on) |When I think back on my youth, I wish I had studied harder.|
|think something over |consider |I'll have to think this job offer over before I make my |
| | |final decision. |
|throw something away |dispose of |We threw our old furniture away when we won the lottery. |
|turn something down |decrease the volume or strength (heat, light etc) |Please turn the TV down while the guests are here. |
|turn something down |refuse |I turned the job down because I don't want to move. |
|turn something off |stop the energy flow, switch off |Your mother wants you to turn the TV off and come for |
| | |dinner. |
|turn something on |start the energy, switch on |It's too dark in here. Let's turn some lights on. |
|turn something up |increase the volume or strength (heat, light etc) |Can you turn the music up? This is my favourite song. |
|turn up |appear suddenly |Our cat turned up after we put posters up all over the |
| | |neighbourhood. |
|try something on |sample clothing |I'm going to try these jeans on, but I don't think they |
| | |will fit. |
|try something out |test |I am going to try this new brand of detergent out. |
|use something up |finish the supply |The kids used all of the toothpaste up so we need to buy |
| | |some more. |
|wake up |stop sleeping |We have to wake up early for work on Monday. |
|warm someone/something up |increase the temperature |You can warm your feet up in front of the fireplace. |
|warm up |prepare body for exercise |I always warm up by doing sit-ups before I go for a run. |
|wear off |fade away |Most of my make-up wore off before I got to the party. |
|work out |exercise |I work out at the gym three times a week. |
|work out |be successful |Our plan worked out fine. |
|work something out |make a calculation |We have to work out the total cost before we buy the house.|
|1. Phrasal Verbs 1-100 |
|1 |
|abide by |
|To accept and obey the law, rule, etc., e.g. We have to abide by the law even if we don’t agree with it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|2 |
|accede to |
|To reluctantly agree to a demand, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|3 |
|act … out |
|To perform a past event; |
| |
| |
| |
|To express one’s feelings through one’s behaviour. |
| |
| |
|act up |
|(Children) to behave badly. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Machine, etc.) Does not work in the way it should. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|4 |
|add … in |
|To include something with something else. |
| |
| |
|add … on |
|To enlarge something, especially a building, e.g. They added on an extension to the museum to house the fossil collection. |
| |
| |
|add to |
|To increase the amount, cost, or degree of something. |
| |
| |
|add up |
|To increase by small amounts to reach a total. |
| |
| |
| |
|To calculate the total of something, e.g. to add up one’s points, marks, scores, etc. |
| |
| |
|add up to |
|To total up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To combine small amounts to find out the total, e.g. When the service charges are taken in, the bill adds up to an amount greater than |
|expected. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|5 |
|adhere to |
|To conduct oneself in accordance to a particular rule, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|6 |
|admit of |
|To accept something as capable of existing or happening. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|7 |
|agree with |
|To have the same view as someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|8 |
|aim at |
|To try to achieve an outcome, e.g. She aims at losing 10 kg by the end of the year. |
| |
| |
|aim … at |
|To point something such as a weapon, camera, etc. at a target, e.g. He aims his camera at his group of friends. |
| |
| |
| |
|To design something for a specific class or group of people, e.g. The new radio station aims most of its programs at a teenage audience. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|9 |
|allow for |
|To consider all factors involved so the problem can be resolved, e.g. If we allow for inevitable wastage, the amount of material needed will|
|be greater to meet the production quota. |
| |
| |
|allow of |
|To show that something is likely |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|10 |
|allude to |
|To refer to someone or something |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|11 |
|amount to |
|To equal to something, e.g. The loss through pilferage amounts to at least 3 % of production cost. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have same effect as something else, e.g. Her remark amounts to an insult. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|12 |
|angle for |
|To request something in an indirect way, e.g. Quite obviously, he’s angling for a date with her. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|13 |
|answer for |
|To explain one’s wrong deed or to explain on behalf of someone, e.g. The coach must answer for the team’s poor performance. |
| |
| |
|answer to |
|To explain something, especially having done something wrong, to someone, e.g. He answers directly to the Chief Engineer. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|14 |
|appertain to |
|To belong to or concern something |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|15 |
|arse around/about |
|To waste time, e.g. He has been warned not to arse about in the park. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|16 |
|ascribe … to |
|To accept that an event comes about because of someone or something, e.g. They ascribe the high unemployment rate to the government’s |
|mismanagement of the economy. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|17 |
|ask … for |
|To say that one wants something, e.g. We asked at the counter for free gift vouchers but got none because we have not spent enough. |
| |
| |
| |
|To show something as requested, e.g. I was asked for my identity card which I had not brought along, so I was not allowed into the office. |
| |
| |
|ask … out |
|To invite someone out, e.g. This is the tenth and maybe last time I’ll ask her out after nine unsuccessful attempts. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|18 |
|attend to |
|To deal with something or help someone, e.g. He had to attend to more emergency cases today than any other days. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|19 |
|attribute to |
|To say a situation is caused by something, e.g. The residents attribute the increase in burglary cases to lack of regular patrol of the |
|streets by the police. |
| |
| |
| |
|To say that someone is responsible for something, e.g. They attribute the short stories to him without having any clear evidence that he |
|wrote them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|20 |
|average out |
|To calculate the usual number of times a thing happens. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|21 |
|awake to |
|To be aware of something and its possible effects, e.g. People are starting to awake to the therapeutic value of herbs. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|22 |
|awaken … to |
|To make someone aware of something and its consequences. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|23 |
|back away |
|To move backwards; |
| |
| |
| |
|To become uninterested or cease participation in something. |
| |
| |
|back down |
|To concede defeat or stop being confrontational, e.g. The workers planned to go on strike, but backed down when the employers threaten to |
|sake them. |
| |
| |
|back off |
|To move away from someone or something, usually because of danger or to avoid injury, e.g. He was warned to back off, but he refused and a |
|fight ensued. |
| |
| |
|back onto |
|(Building, etc.) To have its back facing a particular area. |
| |
| |
|back up |
|To make a copy of data on a computer program or disc., e.g. He has cultivated a good habit of backing up every piece of work he does. |
| |
| |
|back … up |
|To provide evidence to support one’s statement, claim, etc., e.g. Jack backed up his claim of winning the jackpot by producing a photocopy |
|of his cheque for the winning amount. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move or move a vehicle in the reverse direction, e.g. I backed up my car a little in the parking lot between two cars so we could get |
|out./It was a narrow walkway, so we had to back up a bit to let other people pass by. |
| |
| |
| |
|To support someone in a situation by agreeing with them or doing something to help them, e.g. He is doing it not just for himself, so |
|I’ll back him up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|24 |
|bag … up |
|To put small items into bags. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|25 |
|bail out |
|To deposit money for someone to be out of prison while awaiting court trial. |
| |
| |
| |
|To help someone or a financial institution out of financial problem by providing financial help. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|26 |
|ball … up |
|To complicate matters. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|27 |
|band together |
|To unite in order to achieve something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|28 |
|bandy … about |
|To flaunt or say something repeatedly with intention to impress. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|29 |
|bang on |
|To talk incessantly in a boring manner. |
| |
| |
|bang … out |
|To sing a song or play a tune loudly and badly. |
| |
| |
|bang … up |
|To wreck something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|30 |
|bank on |
|To rely on someone or something to produce an outcome. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|31 |
|bargain for |
|To be prepared for something adverse that may happen to one’s plan. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|32 |
|barge in |
|To go or dash in uninvited. |
| |
| |
|barge in on |
|To interrupt rudely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|33 |
|base … on/upon |
|To use something as basis for development of a course of action. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|34 |
|bash away at |
|To continue working or hitting hard at something. |
| |
| |
|bash on |
|To persist in an activity or process in order to complete something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|35 |
|bat … around |
|To engage in a discussion about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|36 |
|bawl … out |
|To scold someone for the wrong they have done. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|37 |
|bear down |
|To appear threatening to someone in the way one behaves. |
| |
| |
|bear … down |
|To apply pressure on something. |
| |
| |
|bear … out |
|To deal successfully with a difficult person or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use something to testify to the existence or truth of something else. |
| |
| |
|bear up |
|To be undaunted by adverse conditions. |
| |
| |
|bear with |
|To ask someone to be patient while you are engaged with something. To exercise patience with a difficult person. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|38 |
|beat down |
|(Sunlight, rain, etc.) To come down in large quantity. |
| |
| |
|beat … down |
|To bargain for or persuade someone to offer a lower price. |
| |
| |
|beat off |
|To frighten or drive someone or something away. |
| |
| |
|beat out |
|To extinguish a fire by beating; |
| |
| |
| |
|To beat out a rhythm on a drum. |
| |
| |
|beat … out |
|To defeat a competition rival. |
| |
| |
|beat up |
|To cause injury to someone by physical assault, e.g. Members of the public caught up with the pickpocket and beat him up until he pleaded |
|for mercy. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|39 |
|beaver away |
|To be doing some difficult, tiring work. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|40 |
|bed down |
|To make person or an animal comfortable for the night. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|41 |
|beef … up |
|To make something better, e.g. Control in the prison was beefed up after the riot. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|42 |
|beg off |
|To say you cannot do something as agreed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|43 |
|believe in |
|To feel sure or accept that something exists, either good or bad, e.g. He just doesn’t believe in Nessie. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel someone can be trusted, e.g. The children always believe in their father despite adverse rumours being spread about him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have one’s views about something, e.g. We believe in the equality of the sexes in the workplace. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|44 |
|belly out |
|To become larger, greater or full. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|45 |
|belong to |
|To be the property or a member of a group or organization. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|46 |
|belt … out |
|To sing out loud or play a loud tune from a musical instrument, e.g. The band was belting out all my favourites. |
| |
| |
|belt up |
|To instruct someone bluntly to keep quiet. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|47 |
|bind ... over |
|To restrain someone from causing trouble under threat of legal punishment. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|48 |
|bite back |
|To retaliate. |
| |
| |
|bite into |
|To cut against a surface. |
| |
| |
| |
|To start using up something, especially one’s personal savings. |
| |
| |
|bite … off |
|To use the teeth to cut off a piece from a main part, e.g. He bit off a piece of a pizza and strangely spat it out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|49 |
|black out |
|To faint, e.g. He blacks out whenever he sees too much blood. |
| |
| |
| |
|(City, etc.) To turn off all the lights in a wide area. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|50 |
|blank out |
|To cover or erase something so it cannot be seen or recall. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|51 |
|blast off |
|(Rocket, etc.) To leave the ground. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|52 |
|blend in |
|To mix or combine something with its surrounding. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|53 |
|block in/out |
|To make a drawing of something that gives a general idea but is not exact. |
| |
| |
|block … off |
|To completely close a place such as a road, etc. |
| |
| |
|block … out |
|To prevent light passing through. |
| |
| |
| |
|To erase, especially a bitter memory. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|54 |
|blot … out |
|To cover or hide something completely. |
| |
| |
|blot … up |
|To wipe surface dry with a cloth or other absorbent material. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|55 |
|blow away |
|To shoot someone to death. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be carried away by the wind, e.g. I put some comic books outside and the wind blew away a couple of them into the drain. |
| |
| |
|blow down |
|To cause something to drop on the ground, usually by the wind. |
| |
| |
|blow in |
|To blow air into something with our mouth. |
| |
| |
|blow off |
|To treat someone or something as unimportant, e.g. He blew off his overseas assignments by not accepting them. |
| |
| |
|blow … out |
|To put out a flame by blowing, e.g. A strong gust of wind blew out all the candles in the temple when the keeper opened a window. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Car) to blow a tyre, e.g. He just couldn’t figure out what caused a tyre of his car to blow out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cease to function, e.g. An electric bulb blew out suddenly while I was reading. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Storm) to come to an end, e.g. After a few hours the storm blew itself out. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Electricity) to suddenly stop working, e.g. The fuse of a piece of electrical equipment blows out causing it to stop working. |
| |
| |
| |
|To destroy or damage something, e.g. The explosion blew the shelves right out of the wall. |
| |
| |
|blow up |
|To be destroyed by an explosion, e.g. A bomb planted by a saboteur exploded, blowing up a power station. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something bigger by forcing air into it, e.g. He blew up a balloon but it couldn’t get bigger because it has a tiny hole. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a photograph, picture, etc. larger, e.g. She blew her photograph up so that the mole on her left cheek is more noticeable. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become very angry with someone or something, e.g. Jill’s father immediately blew up when he read the amount on the telephone bill. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|56 |
|blurt … out |
|To say something suddenly without thinking. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|57 |
|board … out |
|To pay and arrange for an animal to stay with someone. |
| |
| |
|board … up |
|To cover, e.g. a window, with wooden boards |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|58 |
|bog down |
|To be too deeply involved in something to have time to do other thing. |
| |
| |
|bog off |
|To tell someone to go away. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|59 |
|boil away |
|To heat liquid so much until it evaporates. |
| |
| |
|boil down |
|To reduce the quantity of food or liquid due to cooking. |
| |
| |
| |
|To edit information so that unnecessary detail is not included. |
| |
| |
|boil down to |
|To be concerned only with the significant or essential element, e.g. Her wish to continue living with him despite his abusive |
|behaviour boils down to her fear of loneliness. |
| |
| |
|boil over |
|To overflow. |
| |
| |
|boil up |
|To start losing one’s temper. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|60 |
|bomb … out |
|To completely destroy a structure. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|61 |
|bone up |
|To study hard for an examination. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|62 |
|book in |
|To check in a hotel. |
| |
| |
|book … on |
|To make arrangements for someone to travel on a plane or train. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|63 |
|boot … out |
|To dismiss or expel someone, especially from a job or organization. |
| |
| |
|boot up |
|To get a computer ready for use. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|64 |
|border on |
|To be on the verge of, especially on the verge of tears. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|65 |
|bottle out |
|To withdraw suddenly from an activity you are engaged in. |
| |
| |
|bottle … up |
|To hide one’s feelings. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|66 |
|bottom out |
|To stop getting worse, especially prices. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|67 |
|bounce back |
|To get better or recover, especially from bad times. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|68 |
|bow down |
|To lower your head slightly by bending top part of body forward to show respect. |
| |
| |
|bow out |
|To withdraw from an activity, etc. which one has been engaged in for a long time. |
| |
| |
|bow to |
|To accede to a request or demand. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|69 |
|bowl along |
|To move very quickly, especially in a vehicle. |
| |
| |
|bowl … out |
|To accidentally knock someone down while dashing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|70 |
|box … in |
|To feel you cannot act or move freely. |
| |
| |
|box … off |
|To separate a smaller area from a larger one by partitioning or erecting walls around it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|71 |
|branch off |
|(Road, river, etc.) to separate from another and go in a different direction. |
| |
| |
| |
|To talk something else which is not related to what is being discussed, conversed, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|72 |
|brave … out |
|To deal bravely with something that causes fear or problem. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|73 |
|brazen … out |
|To deal confidently with a difficult or embarrassing situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|74 |
|break away |
|To leave a group or political party, usually due to disagreement, to form their own. |
| |
| |
|break down |
|To cry, e.g. He broke down instantly when informed that his terminally ill mother had passed away in the hospital. |
| |
| |
| |
|To gain entry, e.g. Firemen had to break the door down to rescue an elderly occupant from the fire. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Vehicle, machine, etc.) To stop working, e.g. A couple of cars broke down in the midst of a traffic jam, aggravating the situation. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Negotiation) to fail, e.g. The negotiation for the exchange of prisoners broke down because one side remains uncompromising in its demands.|
| |
| |
| |
|(Total amount) to separate into individual items or amounts. |
| |
| |
|break for |
|To leave whatever you are doing for lunch, etc. |
| |
| |
|break in/into |
|To forcibly enter a place such as a building for an illegal purpose, e.g. Thieves broke into an office building by breaking a window. |
| |
| |
|break off |
|To discontinue a relationship, diplomatic relations, etc., e.g. Both countries broke off diplomatic relations after one accused the other’s |
|embassy staff of involvement in espionage. |
| |
| |
| |
|To separate, especially a piece from a larger one, e.g. He broke off a piece of bun and threw it into a pond to feed the fishes. |
| |
| |
|break out |
|To escape from a place, e.g. After he broke out of jail once, he was transferred to a maximum security prison. |
| |
| |
|break through |
|To forcibly go through something, etc., e.g. The burglars broke through a wall to gain entry to the bank safe. |
| |
| |
|break up |
|To stop a fight, e.g. They use pails and buckets full of water, and hose to splash and spray water to break up a fight between two dogs. |
| |
| |
| |
|To separate a gathering, e.g. Police appeared as usual to break up a peaceful demonstration as expected. |
| |
| |
| |
|To end a romantic relationship, e.g. Their relationship broke up after they accused each other of being selfish. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause something to separate into many small pieces, e.g. Someone broke my mug up, but no one owns up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|75 |
|breathe in |
|To take in air; to inhale. |
| |
| |
|breathe out |
|To send air out from the lungs |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|76 |
|breeze through |
|To finish or complete something easily, e.g. a task. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|77 |
|brew up |
|To make a drink of tea. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|78 |
|brick … off |
|To separate an area from a bigger one by building a wall of bricks. |
| |
| |
|brick … up |
|To fill or close a space by building a wall of bricks in it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|79 |
|brighten up |
|(Sky) to become brighter. |
| |
| |
|brighten … up |
|To make something more beautiful or colourful. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|80 |
|brim over |
|(A box, container, etc.) to be overfilled until it cannot be covered. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|81 |
|bring about |
|To cause something to happen, or introduce new ideas. |
| |
| |
|bring around |
|To make someone regain consciousness. |
| |
| |
| |
|To persuade someone to agree. |
| |
| |
|bring back |
|To revive something that was used previously, e.g. More and more people are clamouring for capital punishment to be brought back. |
| |
| |
| |
|To return with something, especially from abroad or shop, e.g. He went to a pet shop and brought back a couple of terrapins. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make one remember or recall something, e.g. Listening to these songs brings back fond memories. |
| |
| |
|bring … down |
|To bring bird, plane, etc. down by shooting. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop a government from continuing, |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring anything high up such as a kite, helicopter, etc. down to the ground. |
| |
| |
|bring ... down on |
|To cause something bad to happen to someone, especially financial ruin. |
| |
| |
|bring … forth |
|To display something or make it visible. |
| |
| |
|bring … forward |
|To make something happen sooner rather than later. |
| |
| |
|bring in |
|To receive an income or earning, e.g. He works for a large company and brings in a handsome salary. |
| |
| |
| |
|To include or invite someone to participate in a discussion, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To involve someone in something. |
| |
| |
|bring ... on/upon |
|To cause something bad to happen to someone, e.g. heavy rain had brought on landslides. |
| |
| |
|bring out |
|To produce something; |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a person display his best/worst quality. |
| |
| |
|bring over |
|To move someone or something from where they are to where one is, e.g. She is bringing her sister over tonight for a game of cards. |
| |
| |
|bring ... through |
|To help someone endure a difficult period of time. |
| |
| |
|bring ... together |
|To assemble two or more people for a particular purpose. |
| |
| |
|bring ... up |
|To raise a question, subject, etc. at a meeting. |
| |
| |
| |
|To care for a child until he/she is a grown-up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|82 |
|bristle with |
|To have a lot of or be full of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|83 |
|broaden out |
|To become wider. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|84 |
|bruit … abroad |
|To spread a report or rumour widely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|85 |
|brush … aside |
|To deliberately ignore something. |
| |
| |
|brush … down |
|To clean clothes or pet animals with a bush. |
| |
| |
|brush … off |
|To refuse to consider someone’s idea, opinion, etc. by ignoring them or passing unkind remark, e.g. The police head brushed the whole |
|thing off when informed that some people are planning a bank robbery right in the city centre. |
| |
| |
|brush up on |
|To quickly reread work done previously that one has forgotten or to improve one’s knowledge, or to practise and improve on an activity, e.g.|
|I think I’d better brush up on my singing and resume my singing career. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|86 |
|buck for |
|To attempt at achieving something. |
| |
| |
|buck up |
|To make or become more cheerful. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|87 |
|bucket down |
|To rain heavily. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|88 |
|build … in/into |
|To make or include something as a permanent part of something else, e.g. He had a safe built into the wall of his house. |
| |
| |
|build on |
|To add an extension to a building in order to enlarge it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To improve on something or carry out more development on it |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|89 |
|bulk … out |
|To treat a product so that it appears bigger or its quantity appears greater than it is. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|90 |
|bum around/about |
|To laze about doing nothing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|91 |
|bump into |
|To meet someone you know by chance, e.g. I found it amazing when I bumped into my neighbour in a shopping centre despite it being packed to |
|capacity. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accidentally knock into someone or something, e.g. I hurried round the corner of a corridor and accidentally bumped into a woman carrying|
|drinks on a tray, knocking them all over the floor. |
| |
| |
|bump … off |
|To murder someone. |
| |
| |
|bump … up |
|To make something larger or appear to be larger. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|92 |
|bundle … off |
|To send someone somewhere in a hurry, e.g. He was handcuffed and bundled off in a police car. |
| |
| |
|bundle up |
|To dress in warm clothes. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tie things together to form a bundle. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|93 |
|bung … up |
|To block something up such as putting something in a hole. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|94 |
|bunk off |
|To leave early and secretly from a place such as school or work. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|95 |
|burn away |
|To be completely destroyed or greatly damaged by fire, e.g. The fire burned away all his valuable personal possessions. |
| |
| |
|burn down |
|To be destroyed by fire, e.g. The whole factory was burned down after an explosion. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Fire) to become weaker, e.g. The fire burns down as its flame has become weaker and produced less heat. |
| |
| |
|burn ... off |
|To get rid of something by burning it, e.g. She burnt off all his photos. |
| |
| |
|burn out |
|To become exhausted through overwork, e.g. He burned himself out by working three full days with very little rest and sleep. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be partially destroyed by fire, e.g. The fire burnt out the kitchen and the adjoining bedroom. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Fire) to stop burning, e.g. After three hours, the fire burnt itself out. |
| |
| |
|burn up |
|To be completely destroyed by fire or physical exercises, etc. e.g. The whole building was completely burned up; physical exercises burn up |
|fat, calories, etc. |
| |
| |
|burn ... up |
|To make someone very angry, e.g. It really burned her up when the boss disapproved her application for a long leave. |
| |
| |
|be burning with |
|To be entirely possessed by (a desire or emotion). |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|96 |
|burst in on/upon |
|To interrupt something at an embarrassing moment. |
| |
| |
|burst into |
|To intrude into a place suddenly without thinking. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly start to cry or burn, e.g. burst into tears; burst into flames. |
| |
| |
| |
|To appear suddenly in a location. |
| |
| |
|burst onto |
|To explode outward. |
| |
| |
|burst out |
|To suddenly begin to cry, laugh, or say something in an assertive manner, e.g. The audience burst out laughing when the clown’s trousers |
|suddenly dropped revealing a pair of yellow shorts with red polka dots. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|97 |
|bust out |
|To escape from a place, especially a prison. |
| |
| |
|bust up |
|To separate as lovers, partners, friends etc; |
| |
| |
|bust … up |
|To disrupt something or prevent it from continuing; to damage or break up something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|98 |
|butt in |
|To interrupt or intrude rudely on a conversation or activity, e.g. Whenever Jack talked to a girl at the party, Jill would butt in. |
| |
| |
|butt out |
|To tell someone to stop interfering. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|99 |
|butter … up |
|To flatter someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|100 |
|buy in |
|To buy something in bulk. |
| |
| |
|buy … in |
|To withdraw something at auction because it fails to reach the reserve price. |
| |
| |
|buy into |
|To make partial purchase of a business with aim to control it; to accept or believe an idea. |
| |
| |
|buy … off |
|To pay someone money to stop them causing trouble or threatening you. |
| |
| |
|buy … out |
|To pay someone to give up ownership, interest, or share of a business. |
| |
| |
|buy up |
|To pay for one’s release from the armed services. |
| |
| |
| |
|To buy as much and as quickly as you can of something. |
| |
|2. Phrasal Verbs 101-200 |
|101 |
|buzz off |
|To go away or to tell someone to go away. |
| |
| |
|be buzzing with |
|To have an air of excitement or purposeful activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|102 |
|calculate on |
|To depend on an essential element in one’s plans to succeed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|103 |
|call at |
|(Train, coach, etc.) to stop at a station. |
| |
| |
|call back |
|To return a telephone call received earlier in one’s absence, e.g. She didn’t leave her number, so I couldn’t call back. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be asked to return, e.g. I was on leave but my boss called me back for some urgent matter. |
| |
| |
| |
|To visit someone when you happen to be in the same area. |
| |
| |
| |
|To appeal or demand publicly for something, especially equal rights. |
| |
| |
| |
|To evoke a quality so that it can be used. |
| |
| |
| |
|To telephone a place to inform about something, e.g. A rescue team was called in to reach the trapped miners. |
| |
| |
| |
|To telephone one’s working place to inform one is sick. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ask someone to see you for a particular purpose, e.g. The villagers are considering calling the game warden in to deal with the elephants|
|which have been trampling and destroying their crops. |
| |
| |
| |
|To decide officially that something should be stopped after it has already started, e.g. to call off a football match due to heavy rain. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay a brief visit to someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To request someone to do something for you. |
| |
| |
|call on/up |
|To select someone to play in the national sports team, e.g. He was called up for the game against Brazil. |
| |
| |
| |
|To call someone by telephone, e.g. He called me up at midnight to wish me happy new year. |
| |
| |
|call up |
|To officially order someone to join the armed services, e.g. He was called up for training for a possible war against a neighbouring |
|country. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|104 |
|calm … down |
|To make or become tranquil and quiet, e.g. The doctor had to inject her with tranquilizer in order to calm her down. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Situation) to become less confused or violent, e.g. The sea calmed down when the weather ceased to be windy after a heavy shower. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|105 |
|camp out |
|To sleep outdoors in a tent. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|106 |
|cancel … out |
|To neutralize or negate the effect of something so that it remains the same. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|107 |
|capitalize on |
|To take the chance to gain as much advantage as you can |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|108 |
|care for |
|To look after and provide for the needs of someone who is not able to look after themselves, e.g. His wife has been caring for him since his|
|discharge from the hospital. |
| |
| |
| |
|To like to have something, e.g. care for a coffee? |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|109 |
|(get) carried away |
|To lose self-control. |
| |
| |
|carry … forward |
|To move figures to the next page in accounts. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep something to use or deal with at a later time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something difficult successfully. |
| |
| |
| |
|To forcibly take someone away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue an activity or task despite the difficulty, e.g. She finds it hard to accept the fact that her husband has left her for another |
|woman, but she still managed to carry on with her life |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue moving in the same direction, e.g. It’s of great urgency that they carry straight on the highway to reach their destination by |
|tonight. |
| |
| |
| |
|To behave in an overemotional way, e.g. She carried on complaining in a bad-tempered way despite her spouse’s apologies and his insistence |
|that he didn’t mean what she thought he meant. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be engaged in a love affair with someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To perform a planned operation or a task that needs to be done, e.g. They carried out his instructions to draw up plans for the next phase. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move or transport someone or something from one place to another, e.g. They carried the injured player out of the playing area. |
| |
| |
| |
|To extend beyond the normal or original area of application. |
| |
| |
|carry over |
|To be used or dealt with in a new context; |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring something forward; postpone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To complete something successfully. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|110 |
|cart … off |
|To take someone or something away. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|111 |
|carve … out |
|To develop a career, reputation, etc. through painstaking effort. |
| |
| |
| |
|To divide up something ruthlessly into separate parts for sharing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To recklessly overtake another driver. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|112 |
|cash in |
|To take advantage of or exploit a situation. |
| |
| |
|cash … in |
|To convert an insurance policy, savings account, etc. into money; to take advantage of or exploit a situation. |
| |
| |
| |
|To total up the day’s takings received in a shop for checking. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|113 |
|cast about |
|To search far and wide. |
| |
| |
|cast aside |
|To get rid of something or someone whom you no longer like or who are of no more use. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be stranded after a shipwreck. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel depressed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get rid of something or someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To free a boat or ship from its moorings. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take the last stitches off the needle in knitting. |
| |
| |
| |
|To let loose a hunting hound or hawk. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make the first row of a specified number of loops on the needle. |
| |
| |
| |
|To force something or someone to go away, e.g. an exorcist who casts out demons. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring something (by the sea) onto the shore. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|114 |
|catch at |
|To try to take hold of something. |
| |
| |
|catch on |
|(A practice or fashion) to become popular, e.g. A style may catch on in some countries or areas, but not in others. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin to understand something, e.g. When one understands something better, it is easier to catch on. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discover that someone is lying or has done something wrong. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put someone in a difficult position because they are not ready to deal with it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To improve so much that you are now on a par with other people in your class, group, etc., e.g. After a long absence from class due to |
|illness, he finds it hard to catch up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do what needs to be done because you have not done it earlier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To meet up with someone whom one has not seen for some time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To finally find someone who has done something wrong and on the run. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|115 |
|cater for/to |
|To provide with what is needed or required. |
| |
| |
|cater to |
|To satisfy a need or demand. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|116 |
|cave in |
|To fall inwards or collapse; to give in. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|117 |
|centre around |
|To have something as a major concern or interest. |
| |
| |
|centre in |
|To occur mainly in or around something. |
| |
| |
|centre on/upon |
|To pay more attention on someone or something more than on someone or something else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|118 |
|chalk … up |
|To succeed in getting something, e.g. points in a game; to record something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|119 |
|chance on/upon |
|To find something or meet someone by accident or unexpectedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|120 |
|change around |
|To shift things from one position to another. |
| |
| |
|change down/up |
|To engage a lower/higher gear in a vehicle. |
| |
| |
|change into |
|To become something different. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|121 |
|chase up |
|To tell someone do something more quickly because it has been taking too long. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|122 |
|chat … up |
|To talk to someone in a way that demonstrates sexual attraction. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|123 |
|cheat on |
|To be unfaithful to one’s spouse by secretly engaging in sexual activities with someone else, e.g. Jill threw Jack out of her house after |
|she discovered Jack cheating on her. |
| |
| |
| |
|To act dishonestly to gain a personal advantage, e.g. He was suspended from the exam after he was caught cheating on it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|124 |
|check in |
|To arrive and register at a hotel or airport. |
| |
| |
|check … in |
|To return a book to a library; to have one’s baggage weighed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To register one’s arrival at a hotel. |
| |
| |
| |
|To mark an item on a list to show that it has been dealt with. |
| |
| |
| |
|To monitor and make sure something is accurate or properly done, or that someone is safe and well. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find out the truth of something, e.g. We checked out a couple of restaurants and confirm their services are reasonably good and prices |
|reasonable. |
| |
| |
|check out |
|To settle one’s hotel bill and leave, e.g. We check out before noon. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay for one’s items to the cashier, e.g. I decided not to buy my one item because of the long queues waiting to check out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find out if someone or something is suitable for a particular purpose, e.g. They routinely checked applicants out before accepting them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To examine or look closely at someone or something to ensure they are acceptable. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ascertain the suitability, accuracy or truth of someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ensure that someone or something is safe and well. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|125 |
|cheer up |
|To become or make someone less unhappy. |
| |
| |
|cheer … up |
|To make or become less miserable. |
| |
| |
|cheer … on |
|To shout encouragement in support of a person or team in a race or competition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|126 |
|chew on |
|To think about something carefully for a long time. |
| |
| |
|chew out |
|To express strong disapproval to someone of what they have done. |
| |
| |
| |
|To consider carefully about something for a period of time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bite repeatedly on something, especially to facilitate swallowing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|127 |
|chicken out |
|To be too scared to do something, e.g. He was invited to speak at the annual dinner, but he chickened out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|128 |
|chill out |
|To calm down and relax completely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|129 |
|chip … away |
|To remove something little by little. |
| |
| |
|chip away at |
|To gradually and relentlessly make something smaller, weaker or less effective. |
| |
| |
| |
|To interrupt a conversation to add in more information or detail; to contribute one’s share in a group. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove something in small pieces, e.g. chipping old paint off the door. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|130 |
|choke … back |
|To suppress one’s emotions, e.g. choke back the tears. |
| |
| |
|choke … down |
|To eat with difficulty. |
| |
| |
|choke off |
|To prevent someone from doing something or stop something happening. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be very unhappy or worried about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|131 |
|chop … down |
|To fell a tree by cutting it. |
| |
| |
|chop … off |
|To separate something from another by cutting it. |
| |
| |
|chop … up |
|To cut into small pieces, e.g. They chop up some firewood to make a fire. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|132 |
|chow down |
|To eat. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|133 |
|chuck away/out |
|To throw something away. |
| |
| |
|chuck … in |
|To give up or stop doing something, e.g. chuck one’s job in. |
| |
| |
|chuck … out |
|To expel someone from a place, e.g. got chucked out of the club. |
| |
| |
| |
|To vomit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|134 |
|churn out |
|To produce something in large quantities without caring about quality. |
| |
| |
| |
|To damage the surface of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone upset, nervous or angry. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|135 |
|clam up |
|To suddenly stop talking because of some reason. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|136 |
|clamp down |
|To take firm action to prevent something happening. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|137 |
|claw at |
|To scratch or tear at someone or something with the claws or fingernails. |
| |
| |
| |
|To gradually regain something by working very hard. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|138 |
|clean … out |
|To make a place tidy and free from dirt, e.g. We cleaned our new house out thoroughly before we moved in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To steal all the contents from a place, e.g. Burglars completely cleaned our glass cases out of all the antique jewellery. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause someone to spend all their money, e.g. My medical bill really cleaned me out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take all of someone’s money or possessions. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something completely clean and tidy. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a substantial gain or profit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|139 |
|clear away |
|To make a place look tidy by removing remains of a meal from the table or putting things back where they belong. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go away quickly from a place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave a place quickly, e.g. Police cleared people out of the cinema after receiving a call that a bomb had been planted inside. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tidy a place by disposing of something, e.g. We haven’t cleared the storeroom out for ages. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something) to get better or disappear, e.g. when weather clears up, it gets better or if an illness clears up, it disappears. |
| |
| |
|clear up |
|To make a place tidy by removing unwanted items, e.g. The child has been warned repeatedly to clear his toys up after his father stepped on |
|one and broke it into pieces. |
| |
| |
| |
|To explain something that is hard to understand, e.g. Most find the instructions difficult to understand, but further |
|explanations cleared everything up. |
| |
| |
|clear ... up |
|To cure something such as an infection, etc., e.g. The regular intake of medicine has cleared my sore throat up. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Weather) to become clear, e.g. The sky had been full of dark clouds since morning, but by afternoon it cleared up, |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|140 |
|cleave to |
|To still regard a belief, etc. as true when it is not. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|141 |
|click on |
|To begin a computer operation by pressing on the computer mouse button. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|142 |
|climb down |
|To make an ignominious withdrawal from a position taken up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|143 |
|cling to |
|To hold tightly to a belief, idea, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|144 |
|clock in/out |
|To record on a special card using an automatic recording clock one’s time of arrival at or departure from work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reach a particular number or amount, especially the number of flight hours a pilot has attained to date. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|145 |
|clog up |
|To be become blocked, e.g. The drain was so clogged up that water and material inside flows over its edges. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|146 |
|close down |
|To stop broadcasting (television station at the end of the day), or doing business permanently (shop, company, etc.) |
| |
| |
| |
|To move closer to someone or something, e.g. the police close in to make an arrest or a pack of wolves closing in to kill their prey. |
| |
| |
| |
|To close a place for a specified reason, e.g. a road is closed off for repair. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be closed to the public temporarily, e.g. a building closes up for a particular reason. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|147 |
|cloud over |
|(Sky) to become full of clouds or black clouds. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|148 |
|club together |
|To share the cost of something by combining with others to collect a sum of money. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|149 |
|clue … in |
|To inform someone about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|150 |
|clump together |
|To form a group or solid mass. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|151 |
|clutch at |
|To seize something eagerly or in desperation, especially at an idea or when one is in a dangerous situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|152 |
|cobble … together |
|To quickly make or assemble something that is useful but not perfect, e.g. cobbled together a ceasefire agreement; cobbled together a tent |
|from some pieces of strings and a big sheet. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|153 |
|cock … up |
|To spoil or ruin something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|154 |
|comb … out |
|To search for pieces of information, e.g. Policemen comb out the entire area looking for evidence. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make hair straight and smooth by combing; to exclude unwanted members from a group. |
| |
| |
| |
|To search through a wide area or a lot of objects for information, e.g. policemen comb through the field looking for the murder weapon. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|155 |
|come about |
|To happen, e.g. How does it come about that he was once my good friend, but now ignores me completely? |
| |
| |
| |
|(Ship) to change direction. |
| |
| |
|come across |
|To meet or find by accident or by chance, e.g. While making a boat trip up the river, we came across a hippopotamus. |
| |
| |
| |
|To exude an emotion or quality, e.g. He comes across as being boastful. |
| |
| |
|come after |
|To go in search of someone, e.g. the police are coming after him for having involved in a robbery. |
| |
| |
| |
|To follow someone, e.g. I will come along with you. |
| |
| |
| |
|To want to go with someone, e.g. “Can I come along with you?” |
| |
| |
| |
|To break or separate into pieces or parts, e.g. They forgot to staple my papers and when the wind blew them off my hand, they came apart and|
|flew in different directions. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a visit to someone, e.g. You can come around in the evening; |
| |
| |
| |
|To regain consciousness, e.g. He came around three hours after the accident. |
| |
| |
| |
|To approach someone in a threatening manner. |
| |
| |
|come at |
|To be left with a specified feeling, e.g. He came away feeling satisfied. To become separated from something, e.g. The lens came away from |
|the spectacle. |
| |
| |
|come away |
|To reply in a quick and forceful way, e.g. “I am not coming back!” |
| |
| |
| |
|To return to where one comes from, e.g. Some of the tourists vowed to come back to this beautiful resort in the near future. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Physical condition) to recur, e.g. He could hardly sleep at night as his backache has come back. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become popular again, e.g. Rumour has it that bell-bottoms will come back in the next season. |
| |
| |
| |
|To appear before a person or group in authority, e.g. He feels nervous when he comes before the judge. |
| |
| |
| |
|To avoid something from disturbing, e.g. I do not allow anything to come between my study and me. |
| |
| |
| |
|To obtain something that is hard to get, e.g. I haven’t found a job which is hard to come by these days. |
| |
| |
|come between |
|To get lower, e.g. Prices once go up, hardly come down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To punish or criticize someone severely, e.g. The police have pledged to come down hard on those who park their cars illegally. |
| |
| |
| |
|To amount to, e.g. Getting along with people comes down to having a give-and-take attitude. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get from higher to lower level or from North to South, e.g. He is unable to come down to stay with his parents this Christmas due to some|
|personal problems. |
| |
| |
|come down on |
|To become afflicted with an illness, e.g. The weather has caused many residents in the area to come down with influenza. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrive to collect someone or something, e.g. I’ve come for my books which I left behind this morning. |
| |
| |
| |
|To volunteer oneself for something such as to be a vigilante, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be from a place where one was born or is/was living. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be a source from which something originates. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrive, e.g. The ten o’clock train came in ten minutes earlier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To enter, e.g. As soon as they arrived they came straight in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attain a particular position, e.g. She came in first in the race this morning. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Tide) to rise, e.g. Let’s go to the beach, the tide is coming in. |
| |
| |
|come from |
|To be available when needed, e.g. The tool kit has come in handy before, let’s not forget it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To receive a reaction such as criticism, etc., e.g. The head of police comes in for some criticism for the way the police conducted the |
|investigation. |
| |
| |
|come in |
|To inherit money or property. |
| |
| |
| |
|To result from something, e.g. The police combed the entire area but nothing came of their attempts to find the murder weapon. |
| |
| |
| |
|To separate oneself or itself from something, e.g. The sole came off one of my shoes. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce a good or bad result, e.g. The trip didn’t come off the way we expected. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something) to take place or happen, e.g. The whole city has been plunged into darkness and the residents are still waiting for the light |
|to come on. |
| |
| |
|come into |
|To meet or discover someone or something by chance, e.g. We came upon a couple of our former classmates whom we have not seen for a long |
|time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin a television or radio program, e.g. What time does that television documentary come on? I want to watch it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel an illness, etc. happening, e.g. I can feel a sore throat coming on as my throat is getting itchier by the minute. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use it to encourage or correct someone, to hurry them up or tell them not to lie, e.g. Come on, you can do better than that. / Come on, |
|surely you don’t believe the Earth is flat. / Come on, the train is not going to wait for you. / Come on, don’t bullshit. |
| |
| |
|come off |
|To enquire one’s position, well-being, progress, etc. e.g. How is your journalism course coming on? |
| |
| |
| |
|To make sexual advances towards someone, e.g. Jack always comes on to Jill whenever he sees her, and Jill deeply resents it. |
| |
| |
|come on/upon |
|To leave a place such as a house, room, etc., e.g. She came out of the room and surprised everyone who thought she had gone out. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Facts, information, etc.) to become known to the public, e.g. When the report came out, many were surprised that it laid the blame on the |
|engineer for the collapse of the bridge. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something such as a book, musical recording, movie, etc. available to the public, e.g. A paperback edition of the book will come |
|out at the end of this month. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove dirt and stains, e.g. Stains on his shirt easily came out when he used some detergent. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attain a placing in an examination. |
| |
| |
| |
|To say publicly one is for or against something, e.g. More and more people have come out in support of the ban on smoking in restaurants. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.) to make their appearance in the sky. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Skin) to break out in spots, rash, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly or unexpectedly pass a rude comment. |
| |
| |
|come out |
|To make a visit to someone’s house, e.g. They usually come over to granny’s house on weekend. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Someone) to move to where I am from where they are, e.g. Almost every weekend he comes over to my place and we go out together. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly experience a strong feeling, e.g. I have this strange feeling coming over me that violent argument will erupt in the meeting |
|tomorrow. |
| |
| |
| |
|To migrate from another country, e.g. Their grandparents came over from the East. |
| |
| |
| |
|To visit someone, e.g. They regularly come round to a neighbour’s house for a game of cards. |
| |
| |
|come out in |
|(Event) to recur, e.g. New Year’s day is coming round again. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change one’s point of view and become agreeable to something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To regain consciousness, e.g. He coughs slightly, and the others are delighted he is coming round. |
| |
| |
| |
|(News, information, etc.) to become known, e.g. News of the snowstorm comes through regularly and people expect the worst as they tune in to|
|it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To live through a dangerous situation, e.g. The bus he was travelling in swerved into a ravine killing some passengers but he came |
|through completely unscathed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be waiting to receive an important document, approval, etc., e.g. The big cheque we have been waiting for has finally come through. |
| |
| |
| |
|To regain consciousness, e.g. He came to hours after he was admitted to the hospital. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reach a total amount, e.g. The total of these items comes to $60.60. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have an idea, thought, etc., e.g. The idea came to me when I was in the shower. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be attacked or shot at, e.g. As soon as the group of commandos landed on the beach, they came under attack from enemy fire. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fall within a particular article, section of the law, etc., e.g. the offence comes under Section 34(B) of the penal code. |
| |
| |
| |
|To approach someone, e.g. A stranger came up to me and asked for the time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To draw near, e.g. The annual fun fair is coming up soon. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Sun, moon, etc.) To rise, e.g. The sun was coming up by the time I woke up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move northward, e.g. They come up all the way to Alaska to visit me. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move up the social ladder, e.g. He has really come up from his early days as an office clerk to his present position as marketing |
|director. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something such as a problem, difficulty, etc.) to happen suddenly, e.g. He couldn’t attend the long-awaited annual dinner because something|
|important has suddenly come up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cope with opposition, difficulty, problems, etc., e.g. Their chances of winning the next round are not good, having to come |
|up against such a strong opponent. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce idea, suggestion, answer, etc., e.g. He was the only one who could come up with all the correct answers to the questions. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|156 |
|complain of |
|To express that one is suffering physically or from an illness. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|157 |
|con … into |
|To trick or deceive someone into doing something, e.g. He was conned into paying excessively for a watch which was a cheap imitation. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deceive someone to give one something, e.g. He conned a number of old people out of large sums of money. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|158 |
|concentrate on |
|To focus all your attention on something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|159 |
|condole with |
|To express sympathy for someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|160 |
|conduce to |
|To help to produce a particular quality or state. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|161 |
|cone … off |
|To close part of a road by using traffic cones. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|162 |
|confide in |
|To tell someone about a personal secret or private matter in confidence. |
| |
| |
| |
|To entrust something to the care of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|163 |
|conjure … up |
|To bring an image to one’s mind. |
| |
| |
| |
|To call upon a spirit to appear by means of a magic ritual. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|164 |
|conk out |
|(Car, machine, etc.) to break down. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|165 |
|connect … up |
|To join something to something else, e.g. the telephone is connected to the telephone network. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|166 |
|consist in |
|To be based on or depend on something. |
| |
| |
|consist of |
|To be composed of. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|167 |
|contend for |
|To engage in a struggle or campaign to achieve something. |
| |
| |
|contend with |
|To deal with difficulties or an unpleasant situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|168 |
|contract in |
|To choose to be involved in. |
| |
| |
|contract out |
|To choose not to take part in something. |
| |
| |
|contract … out |
|To arrange for work to be done by a person or company outside your own organization. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|169 |
|cook … up |
|To prepare a quick meal; to invent a clever or devious story or excuse. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|170 |
|cool down |
|To become cool or cooler. |
| |
| |
|cool off |
|To return to normal temperature after being hot, e.g. It usually cools off in the evening. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone or something cooler, e.g. He had a cold shower to cool off his body. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become calm after being angry, e.g. His temper should have cooled off by now. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|171 |
|coop … up |
|To confine someone in a small space. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|172 |
|cop off |
|To meet and start a sexual relationship with someone. |
| |
| |
|cop out |
|To avoid doing something that one is supposed to do. |
| |
| |
|cop to |
|To accept or admit to something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|173 |
|copy … out |
|To write exactly the same thing as it is written somewhere else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|174 |
|cordon … off |
|To seal off an area to prevent access to it by the public. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|175 |
|cotton on |
|To begin to understand. |
| |
| |
|cotton to |
|To begin to like or have a liking for someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|176 |
|cough up |
|To give something, especially money, unwillingly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|177 |
|count … as |
|To consider or regard someone or something in a particular way. |
| |
| |
| |
|To record the time passing until an important event happens. |
| |
| |
| |
|To include/not include someone in a planned activity. |
| |
| |
| |
|To depend on someone or something, e.g. He is counting on his secretary to prepare a good acceptance speech for him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To count up to ten seconds when a boxer is knocked down to conclude defeat. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put in or take out items one by one as you count them for recording. |
| |
| |
| |
|To determine the total of something or someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|178 |
|couple with |
|To combine to produce a particular result |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|179 |
|cover for |
|To temporarily take over the duties or role of someone. |
| |
| |
|cover oneself |
|To take precautions against future blame or liability. |
| |
| |
|cover up |
|To hide or protect something by putting something on top of it, e.g. Look at the fly on the buns, why are they not covered up? |
| |
| |
| |
|To prevent a wrongful act or crime from being known by denying or hiding the evidence, e.g. The whole affair was covered up to protect |
|certain important people. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wear thick clothing or use blanket to keep warm, e.g. I need to buy an electric blanket to cover me up in this cold weather. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|180 |
|crack down on |
|To take stricter measures to deal with certain problems, e.g. The local authority has decided to crack down hard on illegal parking. |
| |
| |
| |
|To work incessantly in order to complete a job. |
| |
| |
| |
|To burst or cause someone to burst into laughter. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become mentally disturbed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|181 |
|crank … out |
|To produce something regularly and routinely. |
| |
| |
|crank … up |
|To increase the intensity of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|182 |
|cream … off |
|To choose and take away the best people or things from a group. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|183 |
|crease up |
|To burst or make someone burst out laughing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|184 |
|creep up on |
|To surprise someone by appearing behind them suddenly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To seem to come sooner than expected, especially an anniversary. |
| |
| |
| |
|(A feeling for someone, idea, etc.) to gradually increase when it creeps on you. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|185 |
|crop out |
|(Rock) to appear or be exposed at the surface of the earth. |
| |
| |
|crop up |
|To appear or occur suddenly and unexpectedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|186 |
|cross … off |
|To delete an item on a list, e.g. Jill crossed a wrong item off the shopping list and ended up short of one vital ingredient. |
| |
| |
| |
|To delete a word, etc. by drawing a line through it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|187 |
|crowd … out |
|To take the place of someone or something by forcing them out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|188 |
|crush up |
|To squeeze with others into a small space |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|189 |
|cry off |
|To break a promise to do something. |
| |
| |
|cry out |
|To shout out in pain or of fear. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|190 |
|cuddle up |
|To lie or sit very close to someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|191 |
|culminate in |
|To reach a climax or the highest point of development. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|192 |
|curl up |
|To sit or lie with arms and legs bent close to body. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|193 |
|cuss … out |
|To swear and shout at someone out of anger. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|194 |
|cut across |
|To take the shortest way, e.g. If we cut across this terrain we’ll arrive there before dusk. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove what is irrelevant or unnecessary, e.g. Just cut away all those unnecessary details and come to the point will you? |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce on something such as money, time, etc., e.g. We have to cut back on the number of days we are away on holiday as it is getting |
|more expensive. |
| |
| |
|cut back |
|To do or use something less, e.g. Jack was advised to cut back the number of hours he spends at the gym and concentrate more on his study. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce one’s consumption of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring down a tree, etc. by cutting, e.g. It should be made compulsory to acquire an official permit to cut down a tree. |
| |
| |
|cut down |
|To kill or injure someone with a sword or gun. |
| |
| |
| |
|To shorten the length of something such as a piece of writing, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce the importance of someone, e.g. Jack is a self-important, pompous little man; let’s think of a way to cut him down to size. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly drive too closely into the space in front of another vehicle. |
| |
| |
| |
|To interrupt someone who is speaking. |
| |
| |
| |
|To include someone in a deal with share of the profits. |
| |
| |
| |
|To block access to a place, e.g. Heavy snowfall has cut off access to many areas in the countryside. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop supply of something such as electricity, water, etc., e.g. The electricity supply company has sent me a warning to pay within a |
|week, failing which my electricity will be cut off. |
| |
| |
|cut off/cut ... off |
|To abruptly disconnect a telephone call. |
| |
| |
| |
|To separate a piece from the main part by cutting, e.g. She cut off a piece of cake for her guest. |
| |
| |
| |
|To disinherit someone, e.g. My parents threatened to cut me off their will unless I go to college. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop having a good relationship with someone due to some reason, e.g. After she recovered from a severe nervous breakdown, |
|she cut herself off from her circle of close friends. |
| |
| |
| |
|To rudely interrupt someone, e.g. I was relating a story to friends when he came in and cut me off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove something or someone, e.g. The editor cut out an offending remark in a piece of news report. / The parents decided |
|to cut him out of their will. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remain healthy, e.g. He cuts sugary snacks and fizzy drink out of his list of items for consumption |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove something by cutting, e.g. He’s always cutting out articles from newspapers to assist in his writing course. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Engine) to suddenly stop working, e.g. The engine of my car suddenly cut out when I stopped at the traffic lights. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cut something into smaller pieces, e.g. Jill is cutting an apple up to feed her birds. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sustain multiple injuries in a road accident. |
| |
| |
| |
|To behave in an unruly manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|195 |
|dally with |
|To think but not seriously about something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be involved in a casual romantic or sexual relationship with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|196 |
|damp … up |
|To dam a river, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|197 |
|damp … down |
|To make a fire burn less strongly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To control or reduce something such as a feeling. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|198 |
|dash off |
|To leave very quickly. |
| |
| |
|dash … off |
|To write something hurriedly and without much thought. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|199 |
|date from/back to |
|To have existed since a particular time. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|200 |
|dawn on |
|To realize something for the first time. |
| |
|3. Phrasal Verbs 201-300 |
|201 |
|deal in |
|To buy and sell a particular product. |
| |
| |
|deal … in |
|To bring in a new player in a card game. |
| |
| |
|deal out |
|To distribute something, e.g. deal out cards to players in a card game. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do business with someone, e.g. I’ve been dealing with him for the past several years. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take appropriate measures to solve one’s problem, e.g. I’m on medication to deal with my depression problem. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deal with a particular subject, e.g. The book deals wholly with acupuncture. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|202 |
|decide on |
|To select one thing from many, e.g. to decide on a wedding date. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|203 |
|declare for/against |
|To state publicly you support or oppose someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|204 |
|defer to |
|To agree or accept someone’s opinion or decision. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|205 |
|delight in |
|To take great pleasure in something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|206 |
|deliver up |
|To give or pass over something to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|207 |
|delve into |
|To search for more evidence about someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|208 |
|depart from |
|To deviate from the normal or usual course of action. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|209 |
|depend on/upon |
|To rely on others for their help and support. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|210 |
|deprive … of |
|To prevent someone from having something they want or need. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|211 |
|derogate from |
|To reduce the worth or value of something so as to make it seem less impressive. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|212 |
|descend from |
|To have developed from something or to be related to someone who existed in the past. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be able to feel or know when something descends on you, e.g. when darkness descends, it begins to get dark. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pass by inheritance. |
| |
| |
|descend to |
|To behave in an unacceptable manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|213 |
|detract from |
|To underrate the value or importance of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|214 |
|devolve on/upon |
|To entrust responsibility, duties, etc. to someone at a lower level. |
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| |
|To entrust responsibility, duties, etc. to someone at a lower level. |
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|To transfer property to someone when the owner dies. |
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|[pic] |
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|215 |
|die away |
|To become weaker, less loud or strong, e.g. light, sound, or wind. |
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|(Plant) to remain alive at the roots but dead above the ground. |
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|To becomes less active, strong or loud. |
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|To become extinct. |
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|To become extinct |
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|[pic] |
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|216 |
|dig in |
|(Soldiers) to protect themselves by making a trench; to begin eating; |
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|To mix fertilizer with soil by digging. |
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|To make use of what one has, e.g. to dig into one’s energy or strength. |
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|To unearth something from the ground. |
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|To find something that one has been searching for, e.g. to dig out the photo one has been looking for. |
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|To find something in the ground by digging. |
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|To discover something after investigating or searching, e.g. to dig up information about someone. |
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|[pic] |
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|217 |
|dilate on/upon |
|To write or speak fully or in detail about something. |
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|[pic] |
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|218 |
|din … into |
|To firmly instil in someone’s mind by continuous repeating. |
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|[pic] |
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|219 |
|dine on/off |
|To eat a particular kind of food, especially expensive food. |
| |
| |
|dine out |
|To eat outside the home, e.g. at the restaurant. |
| |
| |
|dine out on |
|To entertain friends and others at meal by telling anecdotes |
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|[pic] |
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|220 |
|dip into |
|To put one’s hand into a bag, container, etc. in order to take something out. |
| |
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|To have to use something that one has such as one’s savings. |
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|[pic] |
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|221 |
|disagree with |
|(Weather, seafood) to have a bad effect on someone. |
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|[pic] |
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|222 |
|discourse on/upon |
|To make a long speech about something; |
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|[pic] |
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|223 |
|dish … out |
|To serve food to people. |
| |
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| |
|To distribute something indiscriminately. |
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|[pic] |
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|224 |
|dispense with |
|To discontinue using something because it is no longer required. |
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|[pic] |
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|225 |
|dispose of |
|To get rid of something. |
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| |
|To deal effectively with a difficult problem or situation. |
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|[pic] |
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|226 |
|dive in |
|To begin to take part in an activity with enthusiasm. |
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|[pic] |
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|227 |
|divest … of |
|To remove oneself of whatever clothing one is wearing. |
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|To rid oneself of an interest or investment under obligation. |
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|To deprive someone of power, rights, etc. |
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|[pic] |
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|228 |
|do away with |
|To get rid of something, e.g. Kissing the hand of women should be done away with. |
| |
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| |
|To kill someone, e.g. Some neighbours believe she did away with her husband while others believe he ran away. |
| |
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|do by |
|To treat or deal with something in a specified way. |
| |
| |
|do ... down |
|To criticize someone, especially behind his or her back. |
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|To do something to something else, e.g. what is to be done for the leak? |
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|To ruin or kill someone. |
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|To improve the quality or appearance of someone or something. |
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|To kill someone; |
| |
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|do … out |
|To make someone feel very tired. |
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|To cheat or do a secretly dishonest thing to someone. |
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|To decorate or furnish a room or building in a particular way. |
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|To attempt again at doing something, e.g. My homework is so full of mistakes that the teacher has no choice but to tell me to do all over. |
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|To decorate a wall, room, etc. |
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|To injure someone by beating him up. |
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|To ransack and steal from a place. |
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|To fasten or fix something, especially one’s clothing. |
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|To improve an old car, building, etc. by repairing or redecorating it. |
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|To make oneself look attractive by dressing and making up. |
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|To need or would like to have something, e.g. I could do with a drink. |
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|To connect one thing to another, e.g. When questioned by police about a robbery case, he said he had nothing to do with it. |
| |
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|To have to manage on one’s own without something or someone, e.g. Her husband has just passed away, so she has to do without. |
| |
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|To have to tolerate someone or something, e.g. I can do without all her endless grumbling. |
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|[pic] |
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|229 |
|dole … out |
|To distribute something such as money, food, etc. to people. |
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|[pic] |
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|230 |
|doll … up |
|To dress and make oneself up attractively. |
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|[pic] |
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|231 |
|doss down |
|To sleep somewhere which is not the usual place or one’s bed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do very little work. |
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|[pic] |
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|232 |
|dote on/upon |
|To have a very strong affection or liking for and is clearly demonstrated by one’s actions. |
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|[pic] |
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|233 |
|double as |
|To have a second use, job, or purpose. |
| |
| |
|double back |
|To return the way you have come. |
| |
| |
|double up |
|To share something such as a room. |
| |
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| |
|To use the winnings from a bet as stake for another bet. |
| |
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|To bend one’s body due to excessive laughing, pain, etc. |
| |
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|To play another or different role in a play, etc. |
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|[pic] |
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|234 |
|doze off |
|To fall asleep unintentionally, e.g. Each time he listens to the same speaker, he dozes off. |
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|[pic] |
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|235 |
|drag down |
|To cause someone to feel upset, lose confidence or enthusiasm. |
| |
| |
| |
|To involve someone in something with which he has nothing to do. |
| |
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|To get someone unwillingly involved in something such as a discussion, conversation, etc. |
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|(Meeting, etc.) to last longer than is necessary. |
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|To prolong a meeting, argument, etc. unnecessarily. |
| |
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|To raise unpleasant or embarrassing subject without regard to the feelings of the persons involved. |
| |
| |
|drag ... up |
|To improperly bring up a child. |
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|[pic] |
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|236 |
|dragoon … into |
|To force someone into doing something. |
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|[pic] |
| |
|237 |
|drain … off |
|To cause liquid in something to run off, leaving it empty or dry. |
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|[pic] |
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|238 |
|draw back |
|To recoil or to withdraw from doing something. |
| |
| |
|draw in |
|To get dark earlier in the evening and so there are fewer hours of daylight. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get someone involved in something. |
| |
| |
|draw into |
|To cause someone to participate in, especially criminal, activities |
| |
| |
|draw ... off |
|To extract some liquid from specific holder of liquid. |
| |
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| |
|To suck in smoke from a cigarette, cigar, etc. |
| |
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| |
|To make use of expertise, savings, resources, etc. for a particular purpose. |
| |
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|(Winter, spring, etc.) to come nearer when it is drawing on. |
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|(Days) to become longer due to the changing seasons. |
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|To induce someone to open up by being more willing to talk. |
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|To prolong or extend something such as an event, meeting, etc. |
| |
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|(Vehicle) to reach a place and stop there. |
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|To prepare an official document such as a list of appointees, etc. |
| |
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|To pull one’s legs closer to the body, e.g. knees drawn up to the chest |
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|[pic] |
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|239 |
|dream … away |
|To idle by thinking about something that one would like to happen. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be used to tell someone that what they are hoping for may most likely not happen, e.g. “You think of striking the jackpot? Dream on!” |
| |
| |
| |
|To imagine or mentally invent something, e.g. Who could have dreamed up those ideas of how the dinosaurs became extinct? |
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|[pic] |
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|240 |
|dredge … up |
|To bring out something from the distant past. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove whatever there are from the bottom of a river, harbour, etc. |
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|[pic] |
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|241 |
|dress down |
|To wear informal clothes. |
| |
| |
|dress … down |
|To express disapproval that something someone has done is very wrong. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put on clothes, e.g. She always dresses up to appear younger than her age. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wear a special costume appropriate for a formal occasion, e.g. At every costume party he attends, he dresses up like Popeye. |
| |
|[pic] |
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|242 |
|drift apart |
|(Relationship) to end gradually. |
| |
| |
|drift off |
|To doze off. |
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|[pic] |
| |
|243 |
|drill … into |
|To continuously impress something on someone’s mind to produce a lasting effect. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|244 |
|drink … in |
|To enjoy taking in all the sights and sounds. |
| |
| |
|drink to … |
|To wish someone success, good luck, good health, etc. before drinking alcohol. |
| |
| |
| |
|To finish up all the rest of a drink. |
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|[pic] |
| |
|245 |
|drive at |
|The point that one is attempting to make. |
| |
| |
|drive … away |
|To behave in a way that forces someone to leave him/her. |
| |
| |
|drive off |
|To leave in a vehicle. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause an enemy, animals, etc. that are threatening or attacking you, to flee. |
| |
| |
|drive … out |
|To force someone or something to leave. |
| |
| |
|drive … up |
|To cause rapid rise in prices, costs, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|246 |
|drone on |
|To speak at length in a boring way. |
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|[pic] |
| |
|247 |
|drop away |
|To become lower in level or amount. |
| |
| |
|drop in |
|To visit someone without appointment, e.g. Jack dropped in on Jill and almost couldn’t recognize her as she had not had her usual make-up |
|on. |
| |
| |
| |
|To doze off or begin to sleep, e.g. He dropped off while watching television. |
| |
| |
|drop off |
|To move someone or something to another place, e.g. He dropped me off at the Post Office. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become lower in level, interest, amount, etc., e.g. Readership of the magazine has been dropping off since early last year. |
| |
| |
| |
|To abandon an activity, course, etc. before completing it, e.g. dropped out of school. |
| |
| |
| |
|(A term or phrase) to be no longer in use if it drops out of a language. |
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|[pic] |
| |
|248 |
|drum … into |
|To drive something into someone by constant repetition. |
| |
| |
|drum … out |
|To remove or expel someone from, or force someone to leave employment, office, school, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attempt to obtain support by meeting a large number of people. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|249 |
|dry off |
|To become dry or to make something dry, e.g. He rubbed his head vigorously with a towel to dry off his wet hair. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become or make something, such as washed clothing, very dry after it has been very wet. |
| |
| |
| |
|To succeed in dealing with alcoholism. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deprive a place of water, e.g. The rivers and lakes completely dry up in areas that suffer severe drought. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Supply) to diminish with no addition, e.g. research fund has dried up. To dry plates, dishes, etc. with a cloth. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|250 |
|duck out of |
|To avoid doing what you have to do or promised to do. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|251 |
|duff … in |
|To fight someone and injure them. |
| |
| |
|duff … up |
|To beat someone up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|252 |
|dump on |
|To treat or criticize someone badly or harshly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To unload all of one’s problems onto someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|253 |
|dust … down |
|To remove dust from surface of one’s clothes by brushing with hands. |
| |
| |
| |
|To clean something by brushing or wiping it with a cloth. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use something again after a long period of disuse. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|254 |
|dwell on/upon |
|To think, speak, or write at length about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|255 |
|ease … away/off |
|To slacken a rope or sail slowly or gently. |
| |
| |
|ease off /up |
|To do something with more moderation; |
| |
| |
| |
|(Situation) to get better. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Vehicle) to slowly move forward into the traffic. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deliberately try to make someone leave office. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take it easy after working too fast or too hard. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|256 |
|eat … away at |
|To erode or destroy gradually; to worry someone constantly, e.g. the thought of contracting a serious illness is eating away at her. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce something over time such as money, time, etc. |
| |
| |
|eat into |
|To damage or destroy something gradually, e.g. rust is eating into the metal door. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use resources excessively. |
| |
| |
| |
|To finish eating all of something, e.g. Our uncle ate all the donuts up, leaving us none. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|257 |
|edit … out |
|To remove harmful, objectionable, or unpleasant material in preparing a recording or broadcast. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|258 |
|egg … on |
|To encourage someone to do something foolish or risky. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|259 |
|eke … out |
|To make something last longer by using or consuming it sparingly, e.g. to eke out a living/existence. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|260 |
|emanate from |
|To emit or come from a source. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|261 |
|embark in/upon |
|To begin a new course of action. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|262 |
|empty out |
|To discharge the contents from a container, e.g. I empty out a container by holding it upside down and let all the sweets drop out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discharge itself of someone or people, e.g. As soon as a movie ends, the people head for the exit and soon the cinema empties out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|263 |
|encroach on/upon |
|To intrude on someone’s rights, time, territory, possessions, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To advance on more and more land, e.g. housing development encroaching on farmland. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|264 |
|end in |
|To have a particular result, or finish in a particular way. |
| |
| |
|end up |
|To come to be in a particular situation or place, e.g. We took a wrong turn and ended up in an unknown place. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|265 |
|endear … to |
|To make someone popular or liked. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|266 |
|endow … with |
|To naturally have a good feature or quality. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give something to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|267 |
|endue … with |
|To endow someone with a good quality or ability |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|268 |
|engage in |
|To participate or become involved in an activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|269 |
|enlarge on/upon |
|To speak or write about in greater detail. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|270 |
|enter into |
|To begin to be involved in something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To impose an obligation on oneself to do something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin something such as job, an activity, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|271 |
|even out |
|To make equal in number, amount, value, etc. |
| |
| |
|even up |
|To make a situation or competition more equal. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|272 |
|eventuate in |
|To result in. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|273 |
|expand on/upon |
|To give more details about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|274 |
|expatiate on/upon |
|To speak or write in detail about a particular subject. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|275 |
|explain … away |
|To minimize the significance of something embarrassing by giving an excuse or justification. |
| |
| |
| |
|To excuse or justify one’s behaviour. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|276 |
|eye … up |
|To look at someone with sexual interest. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|277 |
|face … down |
|To deal with someone in a strong and confident way. |
| |
| |
|face up to |
|To face fact however objectionable it is. |
| |
| |
|face … with |
|To provide someone with evidence of their guilt. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|278 |
|factor … in |
|To include something as a relevant element when making a decision or an estimate. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|279 |
|fade … in/out |
|To make a picture or sound appear/disappear or be heard/become quieter gradually. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|280 |
|faff about/around |
|To perform some useless task. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|281 |
|fake … out |
|To deceive someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|282 |
|fall about |
|To have a good laugh about something. |
| |
| |
|fall apart |
|To break into pieces; |
| |
| |
| |
|(System) to stop working or become ineffective; |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly develop a lot of, especially personal, problems. |
| |
| |
|fall away |
|(Machine, car, etc.) to be in very bad condition. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Noise, feeling, scenery, etc.) to recede as you move through it. |
| |
| |
|fall back |
|To separate from the main part. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Soldiers) to retreat. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make sudden backward movement caused by fright, pain, surprise, etc. |
| |
| |
|fall behind |
|To have a source of help in a difficult situation when needed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To slacken so that others move ahead or finish, e.g. In long distance running competitions, runners try to keep pace with the leader, but |
|increasingly they fall behind due to a variety of reasons. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become less successful than someone else, e.g. Industrial disputes have caused production to fall behind schedule. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fail to keep up with schedule for payments, e.g. I fell behind with the payments on the car and it was repossessed, and now I move around|
|on a bicycle. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drop onto the ground, e.g. All the onlookers were shocked to see a monkey fall down from a tree. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Plan, system, etc.) to fail to work or to become ineffective. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel strongly attracted to someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be deceived by someone, e.g. The seller claims it is a magic stone that can cure all illnesses, yet there are people who fall for it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drop within, e.g. part of the ceiling falls into the sitting room. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Soldiers) to form neat lines behind each other. |
| |
| |
| |
|To form a line behind someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To belong to a part, section, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move down somewhere, e.g. fall into the drain; |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop a particular feeling, e.g. fall into despair or holiday mood. |
| |
| |
| |
|To meet by chance and become involved with someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To agree or accept someone’s suggestions, decisions, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drop to the ground from a higher place, e.g. He fell off his horse and landed in a ditch. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become detached or disconnected from the main body. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Demand, prices, quality, amount) to drop or become less. |
| |
| |
| |
|To launch a sudden or unexpected attack on someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To delegate a duty or responsibility to someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have one’s gaze directed towards someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Hair, tooth, etc,) to drop out, e.g. Did your tooth fall out or you pull it out? |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a misunderstanding, disagreement or quarrel with someone, e.g. Jack fell out with his best friend as both have fallen in love with |
|the same girl. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Soldiers) to leave one’s place in a military formation. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Someone) to fall onto the ground or (something) to fall from an upright position onto its side. |
| |
| |
| |
|To not end or complete a plan, meeting, project, etc. successfully, e.g. The commercial venture fell through after one party decided to |
|withdraw. |
| |
| |
|fall to |
|To drop through something, e.g. A meteorite fell through the roof of a cottage and landed on the floor in the living room. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be entrusted with a duty or responsibility. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Property) to revert to the ownership of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|283 |
|fan out |
|To walk forwards while spreading over a wide area. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|284 |
|farm … out |
|To subcontract work to others instead of doing it yourself. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|285 |
|fart around/about |
|To waste time not doing very much or on trivial things. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|286 |
|fasten … off |
|To secure the end of a thread with stitches or a knot. |
| |
| |
|fasten on/upon |
|To quickly single out an idea, etc. as the best one and concentrate firmly on it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To follow and stay with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|287 |
|father … on |
|To assign paternity of a child to someone, or the source or originator of something to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|288 |
|fatten … up |
|To become fat or fatter, or make someone or an animal fat or fatter. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|289 |
|favour … with |
|To give someone something such as a smile, salute, reply, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|290 |
|fawn on/over |
|To give an excessive display of exaggerated flattery or affection to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|291 |
|feed off/on |
|To eat a particular food, or obtain regular nourishment from a substance; to make a feeling stronger, e.g. jealousy feeds on insecurity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|292 |
|feel for |
|To have a sympathetic feeling towards someone. |
| |
| |
|feel … out |
|To ask someone’s opinions or feelings. |
| |
| |
|feel … up |
|To fondle someone for one’s own sexual stimulation. |
| |
| |
|feel up to |
|To have the strength and confidence to do something, e.g. I would like to go canoeing too, but I don’t feel up to doing it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|293 |
|fence … in/off |
|To enclose an area with a fence. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone feel restricted. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|294 |
|fend … off |
|To defend oneself from an attack or attacker. |
| |
| |
| |
|To avoid answering difficult questions directly, e.g. to fend off reporters’ provocative questions. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|295 |
|ferret … out |
|To search out a desired piece of information. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|296 |
|fess up |
|To confess to committing a minor wrong. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|297 |
|fetch up |
|To arrive at a place unintentionally, especially because of having fallen asleep in a public vehicle. |
| |
| |
| |
|To vomit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|298 |
|fiddle around |
|To waste time doing unimportant things. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep playing around with something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To play around with somebody else’s thing in an annoying way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|299 |
|fight back |
|To struggle violently against an attacker, e.g. They chose to fight back until reinforcements arrive. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wage a campaign against something such as unfair discrimination. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hide one’s feelings, e.g. to fight back tears. |
| |
| |
|fight ... off |
|To defend oneself against an attack by someone or something |
| |
| |
|fight ... out |
|To engage in violence until the dispute is resolved. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|300 |
|figure on |
|To expect or plan for something, e.g. I didn’t figure on such massive traffic jam; I would have stayed at home. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ponder over something until a solution is found or one has gained an understanding of it, e.g. He can’t figure it out why his wife is |
|behaving strangely. |
| |
Related Links
|4. Phrasal Verbs 301-400 |
|301 |
|fill in |
|To provide answers or information on an official document. |
| |
| |
| |
|To block up a hole, etc. with something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do someone else’s work for a specified reason. |
| |
| |
|fill out |
|To write down all the required information on an official document, e.g. Many people hate filling out forms, but most of the time they have |
|to do it. |
| |
| |
|fill up |
|To fill a place such as a cinema, church, container, etc. with people, things, etc., e.g. As soon as the doors are opened, the cinema |
|quickly started to fill up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To write down required details on an official document, e.g. I had to fill up everything on the form before I could submit it for approval. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat something in excess, e.g. He has a strong liking for cookies and when any are available he will fill up on them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep refilling a glass, etc., e.g. Do you have to keep filling up my glass? I’m feeling a bit tipsy already. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|302 |
|filter … out |
|To pass liquid or gas through a device to remove impurities or other particles. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|303 |
|find against/for |
|(Court) to make a decision against/in favour of someone. |
| |
| |
|find out |
|To discover information or a fact about someone or something, e.g. They no longer remained friendly to him when they found out he had been a|
|prisoner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|304 |
|fine … down |
|To improve something by making it thinner, smaller, more exact, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|305 |
|finish off |
|To kill someone or animal, or decisively defeat someone in a match, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To finish eating all of something; |
| |
| |
| |
|To do the final thing before breaking up or dispersing, e.g. finish off the evening by having a drink. |
| |
| |
|finish up |
|To end up at a particular place or doing one final thing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat or drink all the rest of something. |
| |
| |
|finish with |
|To no longer need to use something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To end a relationship with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|306 |
|fire back |
|To shoot back with gun, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To respond promptly and angrily to a question or remark. |
| |
| |
|fire off |
|To use a weapon to shoot. |
| |
| |
| |
|To send something quickly, e.g. a fax, letter. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|307 |
|firm … up |
|To make something such as an agreement, ideas, plan, arrangements, etc. more definite and explicit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|308 |
|fit in |
|To adapt to a group |
| |
| |
|fit … in |
|To find time to see someone or do something. |
| |
| |
|fit … out |
|To meet the requirements of someone. |
| |
| |
|fit … up |
|To make someone appear guilty of a crime or wrongdoing by falsifying evidence against them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|309 |
|fix on |
|To decide or settle on a suitable person, thing, etc. for a particular purpose. |
| |
| |
| |
|To provide someone with something, e.g. They fix us up for a night’s stay at their place. |
| |
| |
|fix … up |
|To arrange a date for someone with a member of the opposite sex, e.g. Jack brought Jill along, hoping his friends will find someone |
|to fix her up with. |
| |
| |
| |
|To improve on a place to make it more attractive or suitable, e.g. They intend to fix up their house to look more like a palace than a |
|house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To enhance one’s appearance, e.g. She has fixed herself up gorgeously for it’s her birthday party tonight. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|310 |
|fizzle out |
|To gradually end in a disappointing way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|311 |
|flag … down |
|To wave or signal to a driver to stop. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|312 |
|flake out |
|To fall asleep because of exhaustion. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|313 |
|flare out |
|To suddenly say something angrily. |
| |
| |
|flare up |
|To suddenly become angry or violent. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|314 |
|flash … around |
|To flaunt one’s wealth in order to gain admiration. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|315 |
|flesh … out |
|To add more details to something in order to improve it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|316 |
|flick through |
|To look quickly through a book, magazine, set of photographs, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|317 |
|fling … into |
|To get wholeheartedly engaged in an activity or enterprise. |
| |
| |
|fling … off |
|To quickly remove something such as a piece of clothing, cover, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To dispose of unwanted things. |
| |
| |
|fling … out |
|To suddenly make someone leave a place or organization. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|318 |
|flip … off |
|To rudely show your middle finger to someone. |
| |
| |
|flip out |
|To suddenly become very angry or upset or start to behave in a crazy way, e.g. Jack flipped out when Jill called to say she couldn’t turn up|
|for the appointment as she was very tired. |
| |
| |
|flip over |
|To turn something from one side onto the other. |
| |
| |
|flip through |
|To look quickly through something such as a book, magazine, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|319 |
|flirt with |
|To behave as though one is sexually attracted to someone but not in a very serious way. |
| |
| |
| |
|To willingly risk danger, death, etc. without worrying about it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|320 |
|float around |
|(Something) to be somewhere, e.g. Everyone knows the spreadsheet file is floating around but no one knows exactly where it is. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Rumour, information, etc.) to be circulated and talked about, e.g. The latest gossip about the manager’s private affair is floating |
|around in the office building. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|321 |
|flood … out |
|To force someone to leave their home or to be evacuated because of floods. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|322 |
|flunk out |
|To be expelled from school or college for failing examinations. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|323 |
|fly at/into |
|To attack verbally or physically. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly go into a rage or other strong emotion. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|324 |
|fob … off |
|To satisfy someone by making excuses to deceive them or make them receive something of low quality. |
| |
| |
|fob … off on |
|To make someone accept something inferior by trickery. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|325 |
|foist … on/upon |
|To force to accept someone or something that they do not want. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|326 |
|fold … in |
|To mix an ingredient with another when preparing food. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|327 |
|follow around |
|To keep following someone everywhere they go. |
| |
| |
|follow through |
|To continue an action after the main task is completed in order to ensure a successful conclusion. |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue the arm movement of a stroke after the ball has been struck as in sport. |
| |
| |
|follow up |
|To conduct further investigation or probe, e.g. The police follow up the investigation with new information leading to the arrest of the |
|wanted man. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put in additional efforts to attain a desired aim, e.g. He follows up his doctor’s diagnosis by seeing another specialist for a second |
|opinion. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|328 |
|fool about/around |
|To waste time behaving in a silly way, e.g. He’s fooling around in the library when he should be reading or doing some writing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To act in an irresponsible way, e.g. Someone must have fooled around with this telephone, now the public can’t make calls with it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To engage in a casual or extramarital sexual activity, e.g. A doctor is fooling around with one of his patients and nobody knows about it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|329 |
|force … back |
|To refrain from displaying one’s emotions. |
| |
| |
|force … down |
|To forcibly swallow something that one does not want. |
| |
| |
|force … on/upon |
|To impose something on someone. |
| |
| |
|force … out of |
|To force information out of someone by repeated questioning or threat, etc., |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|330 |
|forge ahead |
|To make progressive and successful headway. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|331 |
|fork out |
|To unwillingly pay money for something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|332 |
|foul up |
|To spoil something or do something wrong by making mistakes. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|333 |
|freak out |
|To become or cause someone to become very upset, angry or irrational, e.g. She freaked out when she was stopped by traffic policemen for |
|speeding. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|334 |
|freeze … out |
|To deliberately exclude someone by adopting a hostile or obstructive attitude. |
| |
| |
|freeze over |
|To turn the surface of pool, lake, etc. into ice. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|335 |
|freshen … up |
|To wash oneself or changing one’s clothes to feel clean and comfortable. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|336 |
|frig about/around |
|To waste time doing unnecessary or unimportant things. |
| |
| |
| |
|To treat someone badly or unfairly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|337 |
|frighten … away |
|To make an animal or someone go away by making them feel afraid. |
| |
| |
|frighten … off |
|To drive someone away by frightening them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|338 |
|fritter … away |
|To waste time, money, or effort on something unimportant or trivial. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|339 |
|front for |
|To act as the person or organization serving as a cover for illegal activities. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|340 |
|frost up |
|To become covered in frost. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|341 |
|frown on/upon |
|To disapprove of something, especially someone’s behaviour. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|342 |
|fuck around |
|To behave in a silly way or waste time or other people’s time. |
| |
| |
|fuck off |
|To go away. |
| |
| |
|fuck ... off |
|To anger or annoy someone. |
| |
| |
|fuck … over |
|To treat someone very badly. |
| |
| |
|fuck ... up |
|To make someone confused or unhappy. |
| |
| |
|fuck up |
|To make a mistake or do something badly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|343 |
|function as |
|To fulfil the purpose or task of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|344 |
|fuss over |
|To treat someone with excessive attention or affection. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|345 |
|futz around |
|To idle or occupy oneself without purpose. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|346 |
|gad |
|To go to different places in search of pleasure. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|347 |
|gain on/upon |
|To gradually get closer to a person or thing pursued. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|348 |
|gallop through |
|To proceed at great speed in doing something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|349 |
|gamble … away |
|To lose money or other things by gambling. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|350 |
|gang up on |
|To join together into a group to intimidate or attack someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|351 |
|gas … up |
|To fill petrol in a car. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|352 |
|gather … in |
|To collect things such as crop, clothes, etc. together. |
| |
| |
|gather … up |
|To pick up lots of things from different places. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|353 |
|gee up |
|To encourage someone to work harder and quicker. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|354 |
|gen up |
|To learn a lot about something for a specific purpose. |
| |
| |
|gen … up |
|To provide someone with information about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|355 |
|get … across |
|To successfully convey a message, an idea, etc. to someone. |
| |
| |
|get ahead |
|To have achieved success in one’s life or career, e.g. He comes from a wealthy family and getting ahead seems easy to him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To manage to live or survive, or interact with people, e.g. He never seems to get along with anybody. |
| |
| |
|get along |
|To be able to do something, e.g. He is getting along fine in his new job. |
| |
| |
|get around to |
|To finally do something after some time, e.g. He didn’t get around to preparing for his exam until the last moment. |
| |
| |
|get at |
|To be able to reach something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To criticize someone repeatedly. |
| |
| |
|get away |
|To succeed in leaving a place; escape, e.g. The robbers managed to get away through the back exit just before the police arrived. |
| |
| |
|get away with |
|To have not been punished or criticized for a wrongful act, e.g. He has been shoplifting for a considerable time, and he always gets |
|away with it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take a holiday, e.g. I have been working very hard and long hours, but still have no plan to get away for a week or two. |
| |
| |
| |
|To escape blame or punishment for a wrongful act. |
| |
| |
|get back |
|To return a place, e.g. I think we can get back in time for dinner. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have something returned to one, e.g. I lent him my umbrella two days ago and I haven’t got it back. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move away from danger, etc., e.g. The onlookers were told to get back as the firemen battled the blaze. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move back to the real discussion, e.g. He was told to get back to the main point of the discussion as his comments seemed irrelevant. |
| |
| |
|get back at |
|To plan to retaliate, e.g. Jill cannot forget what Jack said about her and intends to get back at him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take revenge on someone, e.g. He swears he would get back at his step-father who ill-treated him while they were living together. |
| |
| |
|get back to |
|To talk to someone later, e.g. He said he would get back to me, and after two days I’m still waiting. |
| |
| |
|get behind |
|To have not done what one should have done earlier, e.g. He has gotten far behind with his work which should have been finished one week |
|ago. |
| |
| |
|get by |
|Manage to live but with difficulty or accomplish something. |
| |
| |
|get down |
|To move from higher to lower level, e.g. I got down to the beach by walking down a flight of steps. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move someone or something from a higher to lower level, e.g. Someone called a fireman to get a cat down from a tree. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause unhappiness, depression, etc. to someone, e.g. The prolonged illness of her mother is beginning to get her down. |
| |
| |
|get down to |
|To start work on something. |
| |
| |
|get in |
|To try to enter a place, e.g. It was very crowded at the stadium, and those without tickets also tried to get in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To engage someone to do something, e.g. We have to get the plumber in as the tap isn’t working properly. |
| |
| |
|get into |
|To enter a place, e.g. We got into the stadium for the match as soon as we arrived there. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put something into something else, e.g. We tried quite unsuccessfully to get all the things into the luggage. |
| |
| |
| |
|To come into an adverse situation, e.g. They had to sell off their house when they got into financial difficulty. |
| |
| |
| |
|To form a habit, routine, etc., e.g. She has gotten into the habit of biting her nails. |
| |
| |
|get off |
|To escape punishment or be acquitted, e.g. The lucky murderer got off scot-free when the sole witness suddenly passed away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To alight, e.g. When a train arrives at a station and stops, a lot of people get off it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To end a telephone conversation, e.g. She started a lengthy telephone conversation and got off it only after being told to do so for the |
|third time by her angry father. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave one’s workplace after a day’s work, e.g. Jill is always very punctual getting off the workplace after the day’s work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have difficulty removing something, e.g. He has already spent hours trying to get the lid off a drum. |
| |
| |
| |
|To send something such as a letter, parcel, etc., e.g. The clerk has to get the parcels off by courier service before evening. |
| |
| |
|get off on |
|To find something enjoyable or be excited by something, e.g. He gets off on skydiving and has been doing it for many years. |
| |
| |
|get on |
|To continue doing something, e.g. We had to get on with it until it’s completed because there isn’t much time left. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a friendly relationship with each other, e.g. Having known each other for only a short while we seem to get on very well. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make progress in one’s activity, e.g. How are you getting on with writing the book? |
| |
| |
| |
|To climb on to an animal, bicycle, etc., e.g. They have to use a ladder to get on an elephant. |
| |
| |
| |
|To enter a vehicle, etc. e.g. As soon as the bus opened its door, people rushed to get on it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put on something such as clothes, etc., e.g. Those shoes are sure too small for me, I can’t get them on. |
| |
| |
|get out |
|To leave or escape from a place, e.g. Visitors to the zoo rushed out for their life when they heard a tiger get out from its enclosure. |
| |
| |
| |
|To help someone leave or escape from a place, e.g. Gang members helped a prisoner get out from the prison. |
| |
| |
|get out of |
|To have a regular break from the same environment, e.g. Every weekend we get out of this city for an activity in the country. |
| |
| |
| |
|To run away from danger, etc. We managed to get out when a fire started to burn in the building. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get something from something else, e.g. He couldn’t get any coin out of his piggy-bank no matter how he tried. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove something from something else, e.g. What should I use to get this stubborn stain out of my shirt? |
| |
| |
| |
|To prevent secret information from being known, e.g. If this information gets out we will be directly implicated. |
| |
| |
| |
|To publish something, e.g. The first issue should get out at the end of this month. |
| |
| |
| |
|To escape from an unpleasant situation, e.g. He got out of visiting his mother-in-law with his wife by claiming falsely that he had to |
|attend an important office meeting. |
| |
| |
|get over |
|To succeed in dealing with an unpleasant or difficult situation, e.g. Many speakers prefer to be the first or among the earlier ones on the |
|list to get it over with than to be nervous awaiting their turns. |
| |
| |
|get ... Over |
|To recover from something such as an illness, a bad experience, etc. Her husband passed away one month ago and she still hasn’t gotten |
|over it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go or be asked to go to a place, e.g. I think I’ll call and ask them to get over here for a drinking bout. |
| |
| |
|get round |
|To complete a task. |
| |
| |
|get round to |
|To resolve a problem; evade something such as a restriction, etc. |
| |
| |
|get through |
|To deal with a task in due course, e.g. After we get through painting the house, we can start on tiling the floor. |
| |
| |
| |
|To communicate successfully with someone, e.g. He has explained to his family again and again the need to move house, but he just can’t get |
|through. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fail in trying to speak to someone by telephone, e.g. He has tried numerous times to call his brother overseas but he has not been able |
|to get through. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have undergone a bitter experience. |
| |
| |
|get to |
|To annoy or upset someone, e.g. Now he is looking for someone to blame, but don’t let him get to you. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrive at a place, e.g. We managed to get to our destination before it gets dark. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have to do something, e.g. I haven’t finished my homework; I’ll get to it later. |
| |
| |
| |
|To upset or annoy someone, e.g. The baby’s constant crying is beginning to get to its young mother. |
| |
| |
|get together |
|To meet or gather for a specific purpose, e.g. We have agreed to get together tomorrow night to do some crazy thing like looking for ghosts.|
| |
| |
| |
|To put things in the same place, e.g. We are getting all the ingredients together to make some cakes. |
| |
| |
|get up |
|To rise from bed when awake, e.g. I don’t feel like getting up in this frosty morning. |
| |
| |
|get ... up |
|To make someone wake up and get out of bed, e.g. I think I’ll prepare the breakfast before I get him up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stand up from a sitting position, e.g. Everyone present got up when he entered. |
| |
| |
|get up to |
|To be involved in something, especially something illicit, e.g. The neighbours all along didn’t know what he got up to until the police |
|arrived and arrested him. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|356 |
|ginger … up |
|To make someone or something full of interest or excitement. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|357 |
|give … away |
|To willingly transfer one’s thing or things to someone, e.g. He has been giving money away to the various charities. |
| |
| |
| |
|To unintentionally disclose evidence that implicates someone in a crime, e.g. He told his wife he would work late but instead went to a |
|party after work, and his colleague gave it away when the wife called the office. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hand over a bride to her bridegroom, e.g. The bride’s father was too sad to give her away, and asked his eldest son to do it instead. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a secret known, e.g. The culprit gave himself away by feeling and appearing very nervous when questioned by the police. |
| |
| |
|give in |
|To stop fighting or arguing and concede to their demand. |
| |
| |
|give out |
|To distribute something to many people, e.g. Campaign workers give out thousands of leaflets about the danger and prevention of AIDS to |
|everyone on the street. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop functioning properly, e.g. As we get older increasingly more parts of our body can easily give out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have none left, e.g. Explorers ensure their provisions, especially food and drink, do not give out in the midst of their exploration. |
| |
| |
|give over |
|To hand over for a particular purpose. |
| |
| |
| |
|To delegate the responsibility for someone or something to somebody else. |
| |
| |
|give up |
|To stop doing something before completing it, e.g. He gave up midway in a marathon race because he felt exhausted. |
| |
| |
| |
|To willingly admit defeat, e.g. When the soldiers realized they were completely outnumbered by the enemy, they gave up without fighting. |
| |
| |
|give ... up |
|To hand someone or something to someone else, e.g. give up one’s seat in a bus to an old lady; the missing men were given up for dead. |
| |
| |
|give up on |
|To shop hoping that someone or something will change for the better, e.g. The parents have given up on their drug addict son. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|358 |
|glance at/through |
|To look at or through quickly, e.g. glance through a photo album. |
| |
| |
|glance off |
|To strike a surface at an angle and bounce off in another direction. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|359 |
|glass … in |
|To cover something with glass or build a glass structure around something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|360 |
|glory in |
|To take great pride or pleasure in something, such as praise, people’s attention, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|361 |
|gloss over |
|To prevent something from being known by avoiding talking about them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|362 |
|gnaw at |
|To make someone feel uneasy or distressed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|363 |
|go about |
|To begin or continue doing something, e.g. I wish I knew how to go about starting a business. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something that you usually do. |
| |
| |
|go after |
|To pursue someone, especially to apprehend them, e.g. Having arrested most of the gang members, the police are going after the leaders. |
| |
| |
|go against |
|To oppose or resist something or someone; |
| |
| |
| |
|To have something such as a judgement, etc. that is unfavourable to you. |
| |
| |
|go ahead |
|To go earlier than other members of the group; to proceed. |
| |
| |
|go along with |
|To agree with someone or something, e.g. The majority of the members voted for him as they go along with what he proposed. |
| |
| |
|go around |
|(Illness, news, etc.) to pass from person to person, e.g. There’s a rumour going around in the workplace that the manager is keeping a |
|secret lover. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be enough for everyone to have a share, e.g. There aren’t enough blankets to go around, and some of the evacuees may suffer the cold. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deliberately do something to offend people, e.g. The new manager goes around telling everyone in sight to put in more effort in their |
|work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To behave in an unacceptable way, e.g. The cleaner goes around chatting loudly with everyone in the office. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go from place to place looking for something, e.g. A bargain hunting housewife goes around from store to store looking for the really |
|cheap, discounted items on sale. |
| |
| |
|go away |
|To leave a place or person, e.g. Jack bade his friend farewell and went away leaving his friend alone on a park bench. |
| |
| |
| |
|To spend some time elsewhere, e.g. We are going away for a holiday next week. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Condition, difficulty, etc.) to gradually disappear, e.g. She’s on mediation for her backache and the pain is slowly going away. |
| |
| |
|go back |
|To return to where you have come from, e.g. He has to go back for his wallet which he left behind. |
| |
| |
| |
|His smoking habit goes back to his early childhood. |
| |
| |
|go back on |
|To break a promise or an agreement, e.g. He went back on his promise to his wife that he would never to see his ex-lover again. |
| |
| |
|go by |
|To pass near something or place, e.g. Every day I go by his house on my way to work. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Time) to pass away, e.g. Five years have gone by since she passed away, and memory of her lives on. |
| |
| |
| |
|To strictly obey or refer to something, or use it as a guide, e.g. Deeply religious people go by their holy books. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have an opinion of someone or something, e.g. To choose an employee, would an employer go by looks? |
| |
| |
|go down |
|To get to a lower level e.g. When the doorbell rang, he went downstairs to answer it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get down to another place, e.g. After breakfast we went down to the pool for a swim. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lose in a match, contest, etc., e.g. They went down 2 -1 in the final. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get an unfavourable reaction or perception, e.g. His critical attitude does not go down well with his friends and colleagues. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something such as computer system, etc.) to stop working, e.g. Long queues formed in the bank as its computer system went down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To choose a course of action, e g. The captain chose to go down with the ship. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become lower, e.g. The price of tomatoes has gone down, attracting many buyers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To disappear from sight, e.g. We played football until the sun had gone down. |
| |
| |
|go for |
|To try to get or gain something or get someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To decide on achieving something, e.g. He intends, after completing his education, to go for professional sports. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a preference, e.g. She goes for tall men. |
| |
| |
|go in |
|To enter a place such as a building, e.g. We went in as soon as they opened the doors of the cinema. |
| |
| |
|go in for |
|To attack someone physically or verbally. |
| |
| |
| |
|To enter a contest, etc. or take an examination, etc, e.g. She decided to go in for the quiz show on television. |
| |
| |
| |
|To like or do something often, e.g. When he was young, he would go in for any kind of sea sports. |
| |
| |
|go into |
|To enter a profession, business, e.g. I decided not to go into that commercial venture with him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To expend something on doing something, e.g. A great of time, money, and resources have gone into producing this scientific paper. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sort out details of something, e.g. They have been going into the details of the draft agreement to finalize it before the meeting. |
| |
| |
|go off |
|(Gun, bomb, etc.) To fire or explode, e.g. Someone planted a bomb in the police station but it didn’t go off. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Alarm) to sound, e.g. .Every morning he can only wake up when the second alarm clock goes off. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Machine, system, etc.) to stop operating, e.g. Every worker leaves the building before the central heating goes off at 8 o’clock. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something, e.g. to go off to sleep. |
| |
| |
|go on |
|To continue to do something, e.g. to go on working on it; |
| |
| |
| |
|To take place, e.g. something goes on in that building. |
| |
| |
| |
|To talk for a long time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go on with the speech after the break. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take medication, e.g. go on the pill. |
| |
| |
|go out |
|To leave the home for some place, e.g. Everyone goes out except me as I have a television program to watch. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Tide) to ebb, e.g. Tonight we sit at seaside to watch the tide going out to sea. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Fire) to stop burning, e.g. Firemen battled the forest fire for five straight days before it went out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To carry on a romantic relationship, e.g. Jack is the only one Jill goes out with, but one cannot be sure about Jack. |
| |
| |
|go over |
|To visit someone at their house, e.g. go over to uncle’s house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move to another place, e.g. go over to the kitchen for a drink. |
| |
| |
| |
|To examine or check something, e.g. We go over the documents and discuss their contents. |
| |
| |
| |
|To explain something, e.g. Some students don’t understand the passage, so the teacher goes over it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change religion, etc, to go over from this religion to that one. |
| |
| |
|go round |
|To be enough, e.g. not enough chairs to go round; |
| |
| |
| |
|To spread, e.g. a rumour goes round that …. |
| |
| |
|go through |
|To search through or examine carefully, e.g. to go through the files. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suffer from an ordeal, bitter experience, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be officially approved, e.g. the bill has gone through parliament with majority approval. |
| |
| |
| |
|To look for something, e.g. have to go through this drawer to find it. |
| |
| |
|go through with |
|To do something despite opposition, danger, difficulty, etc., e.g. The government decided to go through with its proposal to legalize |
|prostitution despite strong opposition from many quarters. |
| |
| |
|go under |
|(Ship, etc.) To sink. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Business) to become bankrupt. |
| |
| |
|go up |
|To burn or explode, e.g. to go up in flames. |
| |
| |
| |
|To increase in price, quality, etc., e.g. The increase in demand for flour has caused its price to go up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reach further up, e.g. He has gone up the hill twice. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move from lower to higher level, or from south to north, e.g. We seldom go up to his house as the weather there is so much colder. |
| |
| |
|go ... up |
|To confront another person, e.g. She went straight up to him and told him off. |
| |
| |
|go with |
|To have a romantic relationship with someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accept an idea, etc., e.g. We all have decided to go with his proposal. |
| |
| |
| |
|To escort, e.g. mother goes with her young daughter to the shop. |
| |
| |
| |
|To match an item of clothing with another, e.g. She is searching her wardrobe for a skirt to go with her blouse. |
| |
| |
|go without |
|To experience lack or deprivation, e.g. go without food for two days. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|364 |
|goof around |
|To waste time doing silly things, e.g. He goofs around maybe to prove something, but nobody knows what. |
| |
| |
|goof off |
|To idle or avoid doing any work. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|365 |
|gouge … out |
|To cut or force something out roughly or violently. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|366 |
|grab at |
|To quickly seize something with the hand. |
| |
| |
| |
|To immediately seize an opportunity that is offered. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|367 |
|graft off |
|To gain money or advantages by dishonest use of influence. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|368 |
|grapple with |
|To strive to cope with a difficult problem. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|369 |
|grasp at |
|To seize and hold firmly on to something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accept an opportunity eagerly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|370 |
|grass … over |
|To cover land with grass. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|371 |
|grind away |
|To work or study hard. |
| |
| |
|grind … down |
|To overwhelm someone with long cruel treatment. |
| |
| |
|grind on |
|To continue for an unpleasantly long time. |
| |
| |
|grind … out |
|To produce something laboriously. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|372 |
|gross … out |
|To make someone feel disgusted by something, e.g. The sight of natives eating cooked rats for a meal really grossed them out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To add deductions, etc. to a net amount. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|373 |
|ground in |
|To learn the basics in order to do something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|374 |
|grow apart |
|(Relationship) to become less close. |
| |
| |
|grow into |
|(Child’s clothes) to become big enough to wear when the child grows into clothes. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop into a particular kind of person or thing over time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To learn successfully to do a job or deal with a situation. |
| |
| |
|grow on |
|(Someone or something) to become more attractive or interesting. |
| |
| |
|grow out of |
|(Child’s clothes) to become too big to wear when the child grows out of clothes, e.g. She has grown out of her clothes and is not sure to |
|throw or give them away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop into something bigger or more serious. |
| |
| |
| |
|To no longer do the thing one does when small, e.g. He has grown out of climbing trees. |
| |
| |
|grow up |
|(Child) to develop to maturity or adulthood. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|375 |
|grub … up/out |
|To dig something out of the ground. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|376 |
|guard against |
|To take precautions against something happening. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|377 |
|gulp … back |
|To refrain from expressing one’s feelings. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|378 |
|gum … up |
|To clog up something and prevent it from working properly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|379 |
|gun … down |
|To shoot someone with a gun. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|380 |
|gussy … up |
|To make someone or something more attractive |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|381 |
|gutter out |
|To become gradually weaker and then stops completely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|382 |
|hack into |
|To use or change someone’s information on their computer system. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|383 |
|hail … as |
|To acclaim someone or something in newspapers, magazines, etc. |
| |
| |
|hail from |
|To have been born in a particular place. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|384 |
|hammer in/into |
|To instil something into someone forcefully and repeatedly. |
| |
| |
|hammer out |
|To laboriously work out the details of an agreement, plan, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|385 |
|hand … around |
|To distribute to all members of a group. |
| |
| |
|hand … back |
|To pass back or return something to someone, e.g. The traffic policeman handed my driving licence back to me after inspecting it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave something to a successor or those who come after oneself, such as a son, daughter, etc. |
| |
| |
|hand … down |
|To pass or announce something such as a verdict, punishment, etc. |
| |
| |
|hand … in |
|To give something to a person in authority, e.g. to hand in one’s papers at the end of an examination, or to hand in a resignation letter. |
| |
| |
|hand ... on |
|To pass something to another person. |
| |
| |
|hand ... out |
|To distribute something among a group or publicly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pass a verdict, punishment or penalty, etc. on someone. |
| |
| |
|hand over |
|To pass someone or something to someone else for a reason, e.g. He handed his ticket over to the ticket collector. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|386 |
|hang about |
|To spend time at a place without a good purpose. |
| |
| |
|hang around |
|To loiter or wait somewhere needlessly, e.g. They like to gather in a group and hang around a shopping centre. |
| |
| |
|hang around with |
|To spend a lot of time with someone. |
| |
| |
|hang back |
|To remain behind or unwilling to move around and mix with others. |
| |
| |
|hang in |
|To remain persistent and determined in difficult circumstances. |
| |
| |
|hang on |
|To hold tightly onto something, e.g. She hung tightly on to the rail to prevent herself from falling. |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue doing something in spite of difficulties, e.g. He has to hang on until the next shift worker arrives to take over. |
| |
| |
| |
|To rely on someone or something, e.g. Does the relay race hang largely on the ability of the last runner to run very fast? |
| |
| |
| |
|To ask someone to wait for a short while, e.g. Please hang on. He’ll be taking over in a while. |
| |
| |
|hang on to |
|To keep something and reluctant to let go. |
| |
| |
|hang out |
|To be at some place or with some people for some time, e.g. After he dropped out of school he can be seen very often hanging out with a |
|couple of friends at the shopping centre. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hang something such as clothes, etc. outside to dry them, e.g. I hung out my shoes to dry this morning and now they have gone missing. |
| |
| |
|hang together |
|To cooperate and work towards the same goal. |
| |
| |
|hang up |
|To put the telephone down, e.g. We had to hang up as we had been talking for more than an hour. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put something up on a hook, etc., e.g. She is always hanging up several clothes on one hook. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|387 |
|hanker after/for |
|To secretly harbour a strong feeling of wanting to have something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|388 |
|happen by |
|To find a place by chance. |
| |
| |
|happen on |
|To come across something or meet someone by chance. |
| |
| |
|happen to |
|To experience a misfortune. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wonder the whereabouts and wellbeing of someone after a long time, e.g. whatever happened to my niece? |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|389 |
|hark back |
|To recall things that happened in the past. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|390 |
|harp on |
|To talk or write continuously and tediously on a topic. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|391 |
|haul … up |
|To officially bring someone to a court of law to be judged. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|392 |
|have on |
|To be wearing something, e.g. He has on a hat imported from Mexico. |
| |
| |
|have … on |
|To be using something, e.g. Each time he has the radio on it has to be extremely loud. |
| |
| |
|have … out |
|To have something removed, e.g. to have the appendix out by medical operation. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring someone to court to answer for an alleged offence. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|393 |
|haze over |
|To become hazy. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|394 |
|head back |
|To return to a place where one was before, e.g. I had to head back when I realized I had left my wallet at home. |
| |
| |
|head for |
|To move toward one’s destination, e.g. I am headed for Montreal and have to speed up in order to arrive there before it gets dark. |
| |
| |
|head off |
|To intercept and prevent something from happening. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|395 |
|heal over |
|(Wound) to have new skins grown over it and become healthy again. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|396 |
|hear from |
|To receive news from someone by letter, telephone call, etc. |
| |
| |
|hear of |
|To have knowledge of something or someone’s existence, e.g. I had never heard of Black Hole until recently. |
| |
| |
|hear ... out |
|To listen to all that someone wants to say. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|397 |
|heat up |
|To become or to make something warm or hot, e.g. By the time I arrived home with the pizza, it had cooled down so I had to heat it up. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Situation) to become unstable or dangerous. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|398 |
|heave to |
|(Ship) to turn across the wind in order to stop moving. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|399 |
|hedge … in |
|To be enclosed by something, e.g. a park hedged in with trees. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel restricted. |
| |
| |
|hedge against |
|To protect against possible problems, especially financial loss. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|400 |
|heel over |
|To lean to one side as if going to fall, e.g. ship heels over in the storm. |
| |
|. Phrasal Verbs 401-500 |
|401 |
|help out |
|To assist someone in their work, e.g. On weekends, the husband helps out in the kitchen. |
| |
| |
|help … out |
|To support someone who has problems, e.g. Jack is a tiger trainer and he needs an assistant, but nobody dares to help out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|402 |
|hem … in |
|To surround and restrict the space or movement of someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|403 |
|hike … up |
|To pull or lift up clothing, e.g. She hiked up her skirt to climb the ladder. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|404 |
|hinge on/upon |
|To depend entirely on someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|405 |
|hire … out |
|To allow the temporary use of something in exchange for payment. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|406 |
|hit back |
|To retaliate in kind. |
| |
| |
|hit on |
|To think of a good idea. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discover something by chance. |
| |
| |
|hit out |
|To strike at someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To express strong disapproval of something or someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|407 |
|hitch … up |
|To lift or roll up one’s clothing, e.g. to hitch up one’s trousers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To harness a draught animal. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|408 |
|hive … off |
|To separate something from a large group, such as to sell a company in a conglomerate. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|409 |
|hold … against |
|To continue to blame and dislike someone, e.g. Despite the years that have passed, Jack still holds it against Jill for something she did |
|that caused him embarrassment. |
| |
| |
|hold back |
|To stop oneself from doing something or expressing an emotion. |
| |
| |
|hold ... down |
|To succeed in retaining one’s job. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep prices from rising. |
| |
| |
|hold forth |
|To talk at length on a subject. |
| |
| |
|hold off |
|To postpone doing something, e.g. They hold off renovating the house until next year when they can better afford to pay for it. |
| |
| |
|hold ... off |
|(Bad weather) to fail to occur. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ward off someone or something from harming or affecting one, e.g. They are planning a way to hold the enemy off while looking for an |
|escape route. |
| |
| |
|hold on |
|To wait for a short time, e.g. Would you like to hold on or call back? She’s in the toilet. |
| |
| |
|hold on to |
|To persist in doing something despite the difficulty encountered, e.g. They managed to hold on to a piece of debris until help arrived. |
| |
| |
| |
|To grasp something firmly, e.g. She held tightly on to the rail as she climbed the stairs. |
| |
| |
|hold out |
|To extend one’s hand, e.g. We have not met for a long time and when I hold out my hand, he grabs it tight. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something such as money, etc. last, e.g. I’m spending less, so it holds out until my next payday. |
| |
| |
| |
|To resist something such as attack, pressure, temptation, etc., e.g. They were under siege but managed to hold out until reinforcements |
|arrived. |
| |
| |
|hold out for |
|To be not prepared to receive less than what is demanded. |
| |
| |
|hold out on |
|To refuse to provide someone with information, an answer, etc. that is needed. |
| |
| |
|hold up |
|To continue to remain strong, valid, etc. |
| |
| |
|hold ... up |
|To delay the progress of someone or something, e.g. work is held up by workers’ strike. |
| |
| |
| |
|To commit a robbery, e.g. A couple of men succeeded in holding a bank up by using toy guns. |
| |
| |
|hold with |
|To adopt someone or something as a role model or example. |
| |
| |
| |
|To approve or agree with something, e.g. Most parents do not hold with using the cane in school. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|410 |
|hole up |
|To hide oneself, especially from the law. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|411 |
|hollow … out |
|To remove the inside part of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|412 |
|home in on |
|To aim at something and move directly towards it with a purpose, e.g. to identify a problem and home in to resolving it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|413 |
|hook … up |
|To connect an electronic equipment to an electricity supply. |
| |
| |
|hook up with |
|To get acquainted with someone and become friendly with them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|414 |
|horn in |
|To interrupt without invitation or necessity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|415 |
|horse around/about |
|To fool around or about. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|416 |
|hose … down |
|To wash something or someone using a hose. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|417 |
|hot up |
|To become more active, exciting, or dangerous. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|418 |
|howl … down |
|To prevent someone or something from being heard by shouting loudly and angrily. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|419 |
|hunt … down |
|To search diligently for and capture or kill someone or an animal |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|420 |
|Hurry up/hurry … up |
|To make someone or something move, act, finish or happen more quickly, e.g. If we don’t hurry up, we are going to be the last ones in the |
|long queue. / We hurried the waiter up as we had waited almost half an hour. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|421 |
|hush … up |
|To prevent something from being expressed publicly, especially about something dishonest or immoral. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|422 |
|hype … up |
|To promote or publicize someone or something in an exaggerated way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|423 |
|ice … down |
|To cover injury with ice to prevent swelling. |
| |
| |
|ice over/up |
|To become covered or blocked with ice. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|424 |
|identify with |
|To feel oneself as having the same characteristics, thinking or feelings as someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|425 |
|idle … away |
|To spend time doing nothing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|426 |
|imbue … with |
|To make someone fill with an emotion or quality. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|427 |
|impinge on/upon |
|To have an effect on someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|428 |
|improve on/upon |
|To make or do something better than before. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|429 |
|impute … to |
|To regard something, especially something bad, as being caused by someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|430 |
|inform against/on |
|To give vital information about someone to the police, enemy, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|431 |
|infringe on/upon |
|To intrude on someone’s freedom or rights. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|432 |
|ink … in |
|To write or mark something with ink. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|433 |
|inquire after |
|To ask someone about their health, well-being, etc. |
| |
| |
|inquire into |
|To investigate about something or someone. |
| |
| |
|inquire … of |
|To ask someone about someone else or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|434 |
|insist on |
|To firmly continue doing something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|435 |
|interfere with |
|To prevent something from succeeding or continuing in the way that was planned. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sexually molest, especially a child. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|436 |
|inure … to |
|To make someone accustomed to something, especially something unpleasant so that they are used to it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|437 |
|invalid …out |
|To leave the armed services or to remove someone from active military service because of injury or illness. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|438 |
|inveigh against |
|To speak or write about someone or something with great hostility or criticism. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|439 |
|inveigle … into |
|To persuade someone to do something, especially by deceit or flattery. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|440 |
|invest in |
|To buy a financial product with a view of making a profit. |
| |
| |
|invest … with |
|To buy something useful, e.g. a grey winter suit. |
| |
| |
| |
|To endow someone with power or authority to perform a duty or with a particular quality or character. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|441 |
|invite … along |
|To ask someone to come along to some place such as a cinema, etc. |
| |
| |
|invite ... back |
|To ask someone to come to one’s house, etc. |
| |
| |
|invite ... in |
|To ask someone to come into one’s house, office, etc. |
| |
| |
|invite ... over |
|To ask someone to come over to one’s house, for dinner, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|442 |
|iron … out |
|To resolve a problem. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove folds from clothes by ironing them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|443 |
|issue forth |
|(Sound, etc.) to emanate or come out from something or a place. |
| |
| |
|issue from |
|(Smoke, etc.) to emit or come out from somewhere. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|444 |
|jack around |
|To waste someone’s time by causing inconvenience or problems. |
| |
| |
|jack ... in |
|To stop doing something. |
| |
| |
|jack off |
|To masturbate. |
| |
| |
|jack up |
|To inject oneself with a narcotic drug. |
| |
| |
| |
|To refuse to participate. |
| |
| |
|jack ... up |
|To raise something, e.g. to jack a car up in order to change its wheels. |
| |
| |
| |
|To increase something considerably such as prices, sales, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|445 |
|jazz … up |
|To make something more interesting or exciting. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|446 |
|jerk … around |
|To deal with someone dishonestly or unfairly. |
| |
| |
|jerk off |
|To masturbate. |
| |
| |
|jerk out |
|To utter something in a quick and unsteady manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|447 |
|jib at |
|To become unwilling to do or accept something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|448 |
|jibe at |
|To make an insulting or mocking remark. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|449 |
|jog along |
|To continue in the same steady way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|450 |
|join in |
|To take part in an activity. |
| |
| |
|join up |
|To become a member of the armed services. |
| |
| |
|join up with |
|To form a group with other people in order to do something. |
| |
| |
|join with |
|To do or say something together, e.g. to join with fellow church members say prayers. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|451 |
|jolly … along |
|To encourage someone to do something faster. |
| |
| |
|jolly … up |
|To make someone or something more lively and cheerful. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|452 |
|jot … down |
|To write something quickly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|453 |
|joy in |
|To have a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|454 |
|juice … up |
|To make something more interesting or exciting. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|455 |
|jump at |
|To eagerly accept the chance to do something. |
| |
| |
|jump in |
|To join a conversation suddenly by interrupting. |
| |
| |
|jump on |
|To criticize or attack someone, usually unfairly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|456 |
|keel over |
|(Boat, ship) to turn over on its side; to fall over sideways. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|457 |
|keep at |
|To continue a course of action, e.g. We kept at it until we completely fitted together all the pieces of a jigsaw. |
| |
| |
|keep … at |
|To force someone to continue a course of action. |
| |
| |
|keep away |
|To make someone or something avoid going somewhere or seeing someone else, e.g. We keep away from this guy who often gets drunk and swears. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep someone or something away from someone or something else, e.g. Gun owners should ensure they keep away their guns beyond the reach |
|of their children. |
| |
| |
|keep back |
|To refrain from telling someone what you know, e.g. He keeps back when asked how he sustained a black eye. |
| |
| |
|keep ... back |
|To withhold paying or giving something to someone. |
| |
| |
|keep ... down |
|To stop something from increasing, e.g. The producer is increasing the supply of its products in order to keep their prices down. |
| |
| |
|keep from |
|To refrain from sharing information with someone, e.g. He knows he cannot keep the incident from his family for very long. |
| |
| |
|keep ... from |
|To prevent someone from doing something or something from happening, e.g. We just could not keep ourselves from buying those big, juicy |
|looking apples. |
| |
| |
| |
|To protect someone from possible danger or a mishap. |
| |
| |
|keep ... in |
|To make someone stay indoors, e.g. His parents keep him in most of the time to prevent him from mixing with those bad neighbours’ kids. |
| |
| |
|keep in with |
|To remain on friendly terms with someone, especially because this is very advantageous. |
| |
| |
|keep off |
|To protect something from some other things, e.g. putting things in container to keep vermin off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone stay away from something or someone else, e.g. The doctor advised the parents to keep her off sugary stuff. |
| |
| |
|keep on |
|To continue doing something, e.g. He keeps on complaining about his parents to me. |
| |
| |
| |
|To retain someone in employment, e.g. He has attained retirement age but the company keeps him on because of his immense experience. |
| |
| |
|keep on about |
|To talk constantly about something, especially about one’s personal problems. |
| |
| |
|keep on at |
|To bother someone with repeated requests. |
| |
| |
|keep ... on |
|To retain someone or something such as to continue to employ someone, etc., e.g. He is still kept on the company payroll despite having |
|reached retirement age. |
| |
| |
|keep out |
|To usually appear on signboard warning people to stay away from a place, e.g. A signboard warns passersby to keep out as construction work |
|is still in progress. |
| |
| |
|keep out of |
|To refrain from getting involved in something, e.g. We often discuss current issues but keep out of sensitive ones. |
| |
| |
|keep to |
|To keep to a particular place, e.g. If motorists keep to their lanes as much as possible when driving, the number of accidents might be |
|reduced. |
| |
| |
| |
|To observe an agreement and do what one promises to do, e.g. I have not been keeping to my work schedule and now my work is piling up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep something secret, especially something that has been confided in one, e.g. No matter how hard she tries, she just |
|cannot keep anything to herself. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep to the topic one is talking, writing or discussing about which one is supposed to. |
| |
| |
| |
|To confine or restrict oneself to a particular place, e.g. The nurses tell him to keep to his ward where he is a patient instead of |
|wandering into other wards to chat. |
| |
| |
| |
|To maintain something at a certain level, e.g. They have been reminded again to keep their spending to within the amount allowed in the |
|budget. |
| |
| |
|keep up |
|To continue to maintain one’s good performance, e.g. to keep up the good work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep abreast of current affairs by reading and learning, e.g. to keep up with the development in the field of medicine. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move or progress at about the same rate as someone or something else, e.g. Some of them were not able to keep up with others in their |
|class in school that led to their dropout. |
| |
| |
| |
|To acquire about the same possessions as those of friends and neighbours, e.g. She tries to keep up her extravagant lifestyle by incurring |
|huge debts through heavy use of her credit cards. |
| |
| |
| |
|To prevent someone from going to bed, e.g. to drink strong coffee to keep one up the whole night. |
| |
| |
| |
|To maintain something at a high level, e.g. The suppliers of a product conspire to manipulate its supply in order to keep up the price. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|458 |
|key … in |
|To enter or work on data by using a computer keyboard. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|459 |
|kick against |
|To express disagreement or frustration with someone or react strongly against something; |
| |
| |
|kick around/about |
|To travel from place to place wander with no explicit aim, e.g. He has been kicking around the coastal area for the past year. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Place or thing) awaits exploration and exploitation, e.g. Some of the things we need for this project could be kicking around in the attic.|
| |
| |
|kick ... around |
|To treat someone badly, unfairly and without respect, e.g. He never seems to kick his workers around. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discuss an idea with other people casually, e.g. We could kick around the possibility of migrating. |
| |
| |
|kick back |
|To be at leisure or relaxing, e.g. He decides to kick back the whole day and call in sick. |
| |
| |
|kick in |
|To have an effect, e.g. to begin to feel the pain of the wound kicking in. |
| |
| |
|kick ... in |
|To injure someone, e.g. He was sent off for deliberately kicking the other player’s ankle in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To gain access, e.g. The neighbours had to kick the door in to rescue a child from the fire. |
| |
| |
| |
|To contribute money, help, etc., e.g. The villagers are all willing to kick in and help with the building of a new bridge. |
| |
| |
|kick off |
|To start off a football match, e.g. They decide that the match should not kick off this afternoon due to adverse weather conditions. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remove one’s shoes by shaking the feet, e.g. He habitually kicks off his shoes on arriving home. |
| |
| |
|kick ... out |
|To expel or dismiss someone, e.g. got kicked out of the house or kicked out of the club. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|460 |
|kid around |
|To behave in a silly way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|461 |
|kill … off |
|To kill a lot of lives, e.g. the discharge of chemicals into the river has killed off a variety of fish species. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|462 |
|kiss up to |
|To be excessively obedient or attentive to someone for a selfish reason. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|463 |
|kit … out |
|To provide someone with the appropriate clothing and equipment for an activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|464 |
|knock around/about |
|To travel, especially without a specific purpose, e.g. He intends to knock around a few countries before he gets married. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hit someone, e.g. He used to get knocked around when he was staying with his drinking father. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be present at a particular place, e.g. There is a hammer knocking about in the attic but I just couldn’t find it. |
| |
| |
|knock ... back |
|To drink heavily and quickly, He can easily knock back five bottles when he has the mood. |
| |
| |
| |
|To spend on costly things, e.g. The air fare has knocked her back by some four hundred pounds, but it was worth it. |
| |
| |
|knock ... down |
|To hurt or kill someone by hitting them accidentally with a car, e.g. He was knocked down by a car as he was dashing across a road. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce substantially the price of something, e.g. Sale has been poor so the seller knocks down some of the prices by as much as half. |
| |
| |
| |
|To destroy something and replace it with something better, e.g. They knock down the garage to build a bigger one. |
| |
| |
|knock off |
|To finish the day’s work, e.g. He does not knock off at the same time every day. |
| |
| |
|knock ... off |
|To kill someone, e.g. Pictures of him with a reward for information leading to his capture are all over the country after he knocked off the|
|police chief. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have sex with someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deduct points from the total, e.g. Each contestant will have one point knocked off for each wrong answer. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce prices. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accidentally or deliberately strike something onto the ground from a surface, e.g. My arm knocked a glass ashtray off the table and broke|
|it into pieces. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tell someone to stop bothering one, e.g. He yelled out, “Knock it off” at someone in a crowded place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce something quickly, e.g. She knocked off a couple of poems for the school magazine. |
| |
| |
|knock ... out |
|To eliminate contestants, e.g. He was knocked out early in the contest. To lose a boxing match, e.g. He was knocked out by the opponent’s |
|left hook. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone unconscious, e.g. A brick fell on the head of a passerby and knocked him out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To destroy something, e.g. Aerial attacks have knock out their ammunition factory. |
| |
| |
|knock over |
|To hit someone or something with a car, e.g. The dog was knocked over when it was running across the street. |
| |
| |
|knock ... together |
|To combine or assemble something from whatever one has, e.g. He knocked together a dinner from last night’s leftovers. |
| |
| |
|knock ... up |
|To awaken someone by knocking at their door, e.g. Every morning she has to knock him up for work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something hurriedly, e.g. They got together and knocked up a big kite for a kite flying contest the next day. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|465 |
|know about |
|To be aware of, e.g. There are still many things in this world we don’t really know much about, such as whether or not Nessie exists, the |
|Bermuda Triangle, UFOs, etc. |
| |
| |
|know of |
|To be aware of something but lack knowledge concerning it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|466 |
|knuckle down |
|To devote oneself diligently to a task. |
| |
| |
|knuckle under |
|To unwillingly submit to someone’s authority or orders. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|467 |
|ladle … out |
|To distribute something in large amounts such as advice, praise, compliments, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|468 |
|land … in |
|To cause someone to be in a difficult situation; |
| |
| |
|land on |
|To speak angrily to someone |
| |
| |
|land up |
|To finally reach one’s desired place, position, destination, etc. despite the difficulties. |
| |
| |
|land up with |
|To end up with an unpleasant or unwelcome situation. |
| |
| |
|land … with |
|To assign someone with an unpleasant task. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|469 |
|lap … up |
|To accept something with considerable pleasure and enjoyment |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|470 |
|lapse into |
|To pass gradually into a different, often worse, state or condition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|471 |
|lark about/around |
|To have fun by behaving in a playful way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|472 |
|lash out |
|To attack someone verbally, e.g. He lashed out at his critics for their derogatory remarks. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Animals) to react violently using, typically their paws, or other parts of its body such as their mouths, tails, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|473 |
|latch on |
|To understand the meaning of something, e.g. It wasn’t easy for him but finally he managed to latch on. |
| |
| |
|latch onto |
|To have full affection for someone and aim to be their steady companion, e.g. He has been looking for a long time for an attractive lady |
|whom he can latch onto. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop a keen interest in something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|474 |
|laugh at |
|To ridicule someone or something. |
| |
| |
|laugh … off |
|To treat something as unworthy of serious consideration, e.g. All his friends have been trying to convince him that he is putting on a lot |
|of weight, but he just laughs it off. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|475 |
|launch into |
|To start something with great energy and interest, or criticism of someone or something. |
| |
| |
|launch out |
|To undertake something new and risky on one’s own such as a business enterprise. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|476 |
|lay about |
|To attack someone violently. |
| |
| |
|lay … aside |
|To put something away for future use, e.g. He has been laying a small sum of money aside in his savings account to meet future needs. |
| |
| |
| |
|To defer doing something, e.g. The developer has decided to lay aside a major construction project until the economy improves. |
| |
| |
|lay ... down |
|To put down weapons, tools, etc., e.g. The gang members were ordered to lay down their weapons and surrender to the police. |
| |
| |
| |
|To introduce a regulation, law, etc., e.g. The local authority laid down a by-law against owners letting their dogs loose in the streets. |
| |
| |
|lay ... in |
|To store a large supply of something for future use. |
| |
| |
|lay into |
|To attack someone physically or verbally, e.g. She would lay into her partner whenever she feels she is provoked. |
| |
| |
|lay off |
|To discharge workers from employment, either for a temporary period or permanently due to shortage of work, e.g. My brother was one of those|
|who were laid off during the recent recession. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give up something, e.g. He just couldn’t lay off betting no matter how hard he tries. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop doing, having, or using something, e.g. I advised her to lay off eating excessively as she is putting on weight by the minute. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop bothering someone, e.g. You have been annoying me and if you don’t lay off, I’m going to thump you hard on the head. |
| |
| |
| |
|To provide service such as food, entertainment, etc. |
| |
| |
|lay ... on |
|To entrust someone with a responsibility to tackle a problem, task, etc., e.g. They think he was the best man to lay the |
|responsibility on to organize the weekend jumble sale. |
| |
| |
| |
|To spread something out such as a map, carpet, etc. |
| |
| |
|lay ... out |
|To arrange or plan the construction of something such as a building, garden, town, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To spend a large sum of money for a particular purpose, e.g. Together, they laid out a vast sum for interior decoration of their house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To prepare a dead body for burial. |
| |
| |
| |
|To knock someone unconscious. |
| |
| |
|lay over |
|To sojourn somewhere before resuming one’s journey. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Ship) to stop moving. |
| |
| |
|lay to |
|To be unable to do anything due to illness or injury. |
| |
| |
|lay ... up |
|To take a ship, vehicle, etc. out of service. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|477 |
|lead into |
|(Something) to happen and then followed by another as there is a close connection between them. |
| |
| |
|lead off |
|To connect directly to another place, e.g. The corridor leads off to the backyard. |
| |
| |
|lead to |
|To be a route or means of access to a particular place, e.g. This road leads to the park. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be the result of an action, e.g. The Police offer a reward for any information leading to the arrest of the wanted man. |
| |
| |
|lead up to |
|(Events, etc.) to lead to a final outcome, e.g. No one knows what were the preceding events that led up to the manager’s dismissal. |
| |
| |
| |
|To say or write something that supports your intention which is not mentioned, e.g. Jack didn’t directly say he wanted to be captain of the |
|team, however he led up to it by talking about his ability to lead. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|478 |
|leaf through |
|To turn the pages of a book, magazine, etc. casually. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|479 |
|leak out |
|To intentionally make secret information known to people. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|480 |
|lean on |
|To rely on someone or something for support, encouragement, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To influence someone to act in a certain way. |
| |
| |
|lean towards |
|To have a tendency to support a view, belief, idea, opinion, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|481 |
|leave … behind |
|To forget to bring someone or something along, e.g. He left his cell phone behind in his car. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move faster than someone else, e.g. He is certain to win the gold medal as he leaves the other marathon runners far behind. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go away from someone or something, e.g. He left his wife and kids behind and sought employment overseas. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be slow and make less progress than others, e.g. I watch television more than I work hard; not surprisingly, I’m left behind by others. |
| |
| |
|leave ... off |
|To omit to add or put on something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discontinue doing something, e.g. I use a bookmark to help me remember where I leave off when I stop reading. |
| |
| |
|leave ... out |
|To deliberately or accidentally overlook the inclusion of someone or something, e.g. They have to leave him out from participating in any of|
|the athletic events because he is far too fat. |
| |
| |
|leave over |
|To exceed a desired amount, e.g. I’ll leave the remaining food over for tomorrow. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|482 |
|lech after/over |
|To show excessive or offensive sexual desire for a woman. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|483 |
|let … down |
|To disappoint someone by not meeting their expectations, e.g. He assured me that he would come in first in the race, but he let me down by |
|not turning up for the race. |
| |
| |
|let ... in/let ... into |
|To open the door of a building, house, etc. for someone to enter, e.g. She was still angry with me and would not let me in when I arrived. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Light, air, etc.) to enter a place, e.g. Whenever it rained a crack on the roof let water seep in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To share a secret with someone, e.g. Is it wise to let him into our secret plan to smuggle cigarettes? |
| |
| |
|let ... in on |
|To reveal a secret to someone with the understanding that they keep it to themselves, e.g. He let me in on how he acquired his wealth. |
| |
| |
|let … off |
|To fire a gun or make bomb, firework, etc. explode, e.g. Despite the official ban on firecrackers, people nationwide are letting them off to|
|usher in the new year. |
| |
| |
| |
|To decide not to punish someone, e.g. The victim’s family was furious when the judge let the offender off with only a warning. |
| |
| |
| |
|To release someone from public transport, etc., e.g. The bus driver let the elderly passenger off in front of her house. |
| |
| |
|let on |
|To make known secret information to someone. |
| |
| |
|let out |
|To make a sound such as a scream, cry, etc., e.g. Her nightmare caused her to let out a scream of terror. |
| |
| |
|let ... out |
|To allow someone or something to leave a confined area, building, etc., e.g. The zoo attendant opened a cage door and let some |
|monkeys out to roam freely. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make an item of clothing larger or looser as its owner has put on weight, e.g. This is the second time she is letting her dress out as |
|she has put on more weight. |
| |
| |
| |
|To allow someone else occupy a room, building, etc, in return for periodic payments. |
| |
| |
|let up |
|(Storm, high winds, etc.) to become less intense, e.g. It looks like the rain is not going to let up any time soon. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something continuously, e.g. to grumble without letting up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|484 |
|level at |
|To publicly accuse or criticize someone, e.g. level an accusation at. |
| |
| |
| |
|To aim a weapon at someone. |
| |
| |
|level off/out |
|To become level, e.g. the steep road begins to level off. |
| |
| |
|level with |
|To have a frank talk or discussion with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|485 |
|lick … up |
|To drink or eat something by licking it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|486 |
|lie about/around |
|To leave something untidily somewhere, e.g. She can really tolerate the sight of old newspapers, magazines, books, etc. lying around her. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lie down and not doing anything, e.g. He is lying around watching television. |
| |
| |
|lie behind |
|To be the real reason for a change of behaviour, e.g. something lies behind his sudden heavy drinking. |
| |
| |
|lie down |
|To accept unfair treatment without complaining, e.g. how long is he going to take this lying down? |
| |
| |
| |
|To put oneself in a sleeping position. |
| |
| |
|lie in |
|To remain in bed longer than usual. |
| |
| |
|lie with |
|To have power, authority, etc., e.g. the responsibility to deal with the problem lies with the local authority. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have sex with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|487 |
|lift off |
|(Aircraft, spacecraft, etc.) to rise into the air. |
| |
| |
|lift up |
|To raise something from a surface, e.g. I lifted up an overturned can and a big insect hopped away. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|488 |
|light up |
|To provide light to a place or shine light on something, e.g. They light up trees in the city with multi-coloured light bulbs for the |
|festive season. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Face or eyes) to show pride, liveliness or joy; |
| |
| |
| |
|To light something such as a cigarette, cigar, etc., e.g. He has no lighter or matches and so goes around borrowing them to light up his |
|cigarettes. |
| |
| |
|lighten up |
|To treat someone in a particular way, e.g. You have been grumbling at me for hours, aren’t you going to lighten up soon? |
| |
| |
|lighten ... up |
|To be or to tell someone to be less serious about something, e.g. If she had realized it was just a joke, it would have lightened her up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|489 |
|liken … to |
|To resemble someone else or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|490 |
|limber up |
|To warm up in preparation for an exercise or activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|491 |
|line up |
|To form a queue with others. |
| |
| |
|line … up |
|To form a line of people or things, e.g. They line up for inspection. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have someone or something prepared for a specific purpose, e.g. to line up a number of speakers for the rally. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|492 |
|link up |
|To form a link between or connection with something or someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|493 |
|listen for |
|To pay one’s attention to a sound; |
| |
| |
|listen in |
|To listen to a radio broadcast. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eavesdrop. |
| |
| |
|listen out |
|To listen carefully for something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|494 |
|live in |
|To reside at the place where one works or studies. |
| |
| |
|live off |
|To depend on a source of income or support from another person, e.g. to live off the interest from one’s investment or live off the money |
|regularly given by a relative such as a son or daughter. |
| |
| |
|live on |
|To remember someone after they have died, e.g. the memory of their parents still lives on. |
| |
| |
|live out |
|To live away from the place where one works or studies. |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue to live one’s life in a particular place until one dies. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fulfil one’s dreams or wishes, e.g. eventually they were able to live out their dreams. |
| |
| |
|live through |
|To feel a horrific experience, e.g. the ordeal she had lived through. |
| |
| |
|live up to |
|To fulfil their obligation as a trustworthy financial, etc. institution, e.g. a bank has to live up to its reputation. |
| |
| |
|live with |
|To make one’s home with someone, e.g. Despite my age, I’m still living with my parents. |
| |
| |
| |
|Endure someone or something that is disagreeable, e.g. I was born with a face marred by a big aquiline nose, sunken cheeks and sleepy eyes, |
|and I have to learn to live with it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|495 |
|liven up |
|To become or make something more lively or interesting, e.g. the place livens up when more guests arrive. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|496 |
|load … down |
|To entrust someone with excess authority. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone or something carry or hold a large amount of heavy things, e.g. she struggles to push her trolley loaded down with a great |
|deal of purchases. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|497 |
|lobby … through |
|To seek to influence a legislator. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|498 |
|lock … away |
|To put someone in prison. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep something in a safe place and fasten its door with a lock, e.g. she places her valuables in a safe and locks it away. |
| |
| |
|lock ... in |
|To ensure no one leaves by locking the door, e.g. Closing the car door automatically locks the driver in. |
| |
| |
|lock onto |
|When a missile locks onto a target, it heads for the target. |
| |
| |
|lock ... out |
|To keep someone out of a place by locking the door, e.g. My God, I’ve locked myself out but luckily I’m a locksmith, so I have ways to |
|unlock the door without the key. |
| |
| |
|lock up |
|To make all the doors of the building locked when the day’s work ends. |
| |
| |
| |
|To imprison a criminal after he was officially found guilty. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep something in a safe place such as a safe, etc. and lock its door. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|499 |
|log in/on |
|To take the required actions to begin the use of a computer system. |
| |
| |
|log off/out |
|To take the required actions to conclude the use of a computer system. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|500 |
|look after |
|To take care of someone or something; |
| |
| |
|look ahead |
|To plan for the future. |
| |
| |
|look around/round |
|To try to find something or someone by looking, e.g. We heard a sound, and we looked around but there was nothing and nobody, and we started|
|running through the dimly lit alley. |
| |
| |
|look at |
|To focus one’s eyes on someone or something, e.g. We look at each other when we talk to each other. |
| |
| |
| |
|To examine something and consider what action to take. |
| |
| |
|look back |
|To recall something that occurred in the past. |
| |
| |
|look down on |
|To view others with a feeling of superiority, e.g. She looks down on me just because I’m jobless. |
| |
| |
|look for |
|To find something, or something that has been lost or someone who is missing. |
| |
| |
|look forward to |
|To wait eagerly for something that is going to happen, e.g. He looks forward to playing in the next game. |
| |
| |
|look in |
|To make a short visit to someone. |
| |
| |
|look into |
|To try to find out what happened and take the necessary actions, e.g. Police, investigating a bank robbery, are looking into the possibility|
|of an inside job. |
| |
| |
|look on |
|To watch something without getting involved in it. |
| |
| |
|look out |
|To keep a close watch on and be aware of someone or something. |
| |
| |
|look ... out |
|To search for and find a particular thing. |
| |
| |
|look out for |
|To keep careful watch for possible danger or difficulties, e.g. Look out for snakes when you take that path, or you may step on one like I |
|did. |
| |
| |
|look ... over |
|To examine something quickly, without paying much attention to detail, e.g. We looked over the inside of a newly-opened store and left. |
| |
| |
|look through |
|To look for one person or thing among many. |
| |
| |
|look to |
|To rely on something or someone to do something. |
| |
| |
|look up |
|(Situation) to improve, e.g. Now that oil has been discovered off the coast of the country, things are looking up. |
| |
| |
|look ... up |
|To try to find a piece of information in a dictionary, reference book, etc, e.g. Every time he comes across an unknown word, |
|he looks it up in a dictionary. |
| |
| |
| |
|To renew contact with someone, e.g. My bother always looks me up whenever he is in town on business. |
| |
| |
|look up to |
|To have a great deal of respect for someone. |
| |
Related Links
|6. Phrasal Verbs 501-600 |
|501 |
|loose … on/upon |
|To allow something dangerous and destructive to begin to affect a situation or other people. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|502 |
|loosen up |
|To warm up the body, especially the muscles and joints, in preparation for a physical activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|503 |
|lop … off |
|To cut off, especially a branch or limb, from a tree or body. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a slight reduction in a price or charge. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|504 |
|lose out |
|To fail to get something, e.g. to lose out on a job, business contract, etc. which go to a rival. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|505 |
|louse up |
|To spoil, or to do something badly, or to make something worse. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|506 |
|luck out |
|To succeed due to good luck, e.g. We both bought lottery tickets and he, not me, lucked out when he discovered he hit the jackpot. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|507 |
|lump … together |
|To combine into an indiscriminate mass or group. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|508 |
|lust after |
|To feel strong sexual desire for someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|509 |
|luxuriate in |
|To relax and consciously enjoy something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|510 |
|magic … away |
|To use magic to make someone or something disappear. |
| |
| |
|magic … up |
|To make something appear suddenly and unexpectedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|511 |
|make after |
|To pursue someone or something. |
| |
| |
|make away with |
|To steal something, e.g. The thieves made away with a safe. |
| |
| |
| |
|To kill someone or something. |
| |
| |
|make for |
|To move towards someone or something, e.g. We made for the railway station as quickly as we could. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a particular result or make something possible, e.g. Proper training makes for smooth operation of the machinery. |
| |
| |
|make ... into |
|To change the form or purpose of something, e.g. Jack planned to make the attic into a study. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change someone’s character, etc., e.g. A road accident has made him into a careful driver. |
| |
| |
|make ... of |
|To express an opinion of something, e.g. We do not know what to make of the ultimate consequences of climate warming. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use opportunities to achieve an outcome, e.g. I want to make use of whatever money I have for my higher education. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give someone a new job or position in a group, organization, etc., e.g. He was made captain of the team. |
| |
| |
|make off |
|To leave hurriedly. |
| |
| |
|make off with |
|To take something away illegally, e.g. he made off with my bicycle while I was not looking. |
| |
| |
|make out |
|To manage with difficulty to see, etc., e.g. On that foggy night the driver could barely make out what was in front of him until his car |
|rammed into it. |
| |
| |
|make ... out |
|To issue payment by means of a cheque, e.g. He makes a cheque out in favour of one of his creditors. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have sufficient evidence to effect a conviction, e.g. The police feel they have made out a case to charge the culprit. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have individual opinions on something or someone, e.g. The horror movie is not as scary as you made it out to be. |
| |
| |
| |
|To survive a difficult situation, e.g. His wife has run away, he will make out somehow. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find good reasons to prove or explain something, e.g. The police believe they have made out a strong case against the accused. |
| |
| |
|make ... over |
|To give money or legally transfer ownership of property to someone else, e.g. His father made over the whole factory to his son. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change one’s own appearance with cosmetics, hairstyling, new clothes, etc. |
| |
| |
|make up |
|To be reconciled after a quarrel, etc., e.g. They make up every now and then after an angry argument or disagreement. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a choice, e.g. I haven’t made up my mind to give up smoking or lose weight, or do both at the same time. |
| |
| |
|make ... up |
|To improve one’s appearance, e.g. The regular use of cosmetics has made her up much younger than her actual age. |
| |
| |
| |
|To invent a story, etc. in order to deceive someone, e.g. He made a fictional happening up to escape punishment. |
| |
| |
| |
|To add an amount that is enough for a particular purpose, e.g. I don’t have enough money to buy her a birthday present, so I borrowed |
|to make up the difference. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|512 |
|map … out |
|To plan a course of action carefully. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|513 |
|mark … down |
|To write something down in order to keep a record. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce the indicated price of an item. |
| |
| |
| |
|To judge someone to be a potential leader, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce the marks awarded to a candidate or for their work, e.g. He was marked down as his work has missed the point by not understanding |
|the main meaning of the questions. |
| |
| |
|mark ... off |
|To isolate an area such as a building, road, etc. by putting a rope, tape, cones, etc. around it, e.g. the murder scene has been marked |
|off with police tape. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tick off items on a list for a purpose, e.g. She has marked off the items that she has already bought. |
| |
| |
| |
|To distinguish someone from others, e.g. Her ability to debate in class has marked her off as a potential representative debater of her |
|school. |
| |
| |
|mark ... up |
|To increase the profit margin, e.g. Cell phones may be marked up by as much as 60%. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|514 |
|marry into |
|To become a member of a family by marriage, e.g. She married into a very wealthy family. |
| |
| |
|marry … off |
|To look for a spouse for someone, e.g. They married her off to the first young man who came along. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|515 |
|match up |
|To match a report, piece of information, etc. with another to see if they are the same. |
| |
| |
|match … up |
|To find something that is similar to or suitable for something else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|516 |
|max out |
|To do something with as much effort and determination as one can. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|517 |
|measure against |
|To judge someone or something by comparing them with another person or thing. |
| |
| |
|measure … off |
|To measure the required amount of material and cut it off a larger piece. |
| |
| |
|measure ... out |
|To take out a certain amount of liquid, powder, etc. from a larger quantity. |
| |
| |
|measure up |
|To determine whether one is good enough for a particular job, position, etc., e.g. The new manager has not measured up to his |
|responsibilities. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|518 |
|meet up |
|To come and do something together, e.g. We used to meet up on weekend to go fishing. |
| |
| |
|meet with |
|To mutually agree to come face to face for a purpose. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a particular reaction to something, e.g. The star’s emergence from a car was met with a loud cheer. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|519 |
|melt down |
|To heat metal until it becomes liquefied and reuse it, e.g. His hobbies include melting down unwanted metal objects to make souvenirs for |
|sale. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|520 |
|mess around/about |
|To behave in a silly way that lacks purpose. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause problems for someone. |
| |
| |
|mess around with |
|To have an affair with someone that one should not have. |
| |
| |
|mess up/mess … up |
|To make something dirty or untidy, e.g. The puppies have really messed up the sitting room. |
| |
| |
| |
|To interfere with something and turn it into a confused state, e.g. I’ve arranged my CDs in alphabetical order, but someone |
|has messed it up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To handle a situation wrongly or ineffectively, or to spoil something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ruin one’s own personal life, e.g. She feels she has messed up her whole life by running up massive credit card debts. |
| |
| |
|mess with |
|To get involved in or interfere with something or someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|521 |
|mete … out |
|To dispense justice, punishment, etc. to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|522 |
|mike … up |
|To equip someone with a microphone so that his voice can be made louder. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|523 |
|militate against |
|To stop something from happening or stop someone from doing something |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|524 |
|mill around/about |
|(A lot of people) to move around a place in different directions. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|525 |
|minister to |
|To attend to the needs of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|526 |
|minor in |
|To study a subsidiary subject in addition to the main one. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|527 |
|miss out |
|To fail to use an opportunity to do something enjoyable. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fail to include someone or something, e.g. to miss out some punctuation marks in one’s essay. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|528 |
|mist over |
|(Eyes) to become filled with tears. |
| |
| |
|mist up |
|To become covered with tiny water droplets or condensed vapour, e.g. one’s glasses have misted up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|529 |
|mistake for |
|To wrongly identify someone or something as someone or something else, e.g. mistook a cheetah for a leopard. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|530 |
|mix … up |
|To confuse someone or something with someone or something else, e.g. The teacher often mixes him up with his twin brother. |
| |
| |
| |
|To combine two or more things together, e.g. A good way to mix the ingredients up thoroughly is to use an electric mixer. |
| |
| |
| |
|To disrupt the order or arrangement of something, e.g. He unknowingly mixed up those arranged papers which are not numbered, and now they |
|have to sort and rearrange them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become confused or make someone feel confused, e.g. They really mixed me up, telling me different stories about the same person. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|531 |
|mock … up |
|To replicate or imitate something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|532 |
|monkey around |
|To behave in a silly, careless or playful way, e.g. The children monkey around in the park and cause damage to some of the exotic plants. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tamper with something without authority or the required skill, e.g. My kid monkeyed around with my cell phone and now it can’t make any |
|call. |
| |
| |
|monkey with |
|To interfere with something so as to cause damage. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|533 |
|mooch around/about |
|To move around without any apparent purpose. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|534 |
|moon about/around |
|To spend time in a relaxed, lazy manner. |
| |
| |
|moon over |
|To miss and long for someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|535 |
|mop … up |
|To wipe or soak up liquid with a mop, cloth, etc. from a surface. |
| |
| |
| |
|To complete or put an end to something by dealing with the remaining parts. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|536 |
|mope around/about |
|To feel sad or dispirited. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|537 |
|mount up |
|To gradually increase in size or amount. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|538 |
|mouth off |
|To talk in a conceited way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|539 |
|move along |
|To go further to the front or back of something. |
| |
| |
|move away |
|To change one’s place of residence. |
| |
| |
|move in |
|To start living with someone, e.g. Jill moved in with her boyfriend despite her parents' objection. |
| |
| |
|move into |
|To start living in a place, e.g. Jack and Jill are planning to move into a rural area of the country for some peace and quiet. |
| |
| |
|move off |
|(Vehicle or crowd) to start to move away. |
| |
| |
|move on |
|To carry on with one’s journey. |
| |
| |
| |
|To start talking a new part of the subject under discussion or start talking a new subject. |
| |
| |
|move out |
|To stop living in a place in order to live somewhere else, e.g. We are looking for a house somewhere and move out of our apartment. |
| |
| |
|move to |
|To shift someone or something out of a place, e.g. The villagers move their belongings to higher ground in anticipation of a flood. |
| |
| |
|move over |
|To shift position and so create more space for others. |
| |
| |
|move up |
|To get a promotion in the place where one works. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|540 |
|mow … down |
|To kill a large group of people at one time by shooting them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To recklessly knock someone down with a car. |
| |
|541 |
|muck about/around |
|To behave in a silly way without purpose. |
| |
| |
|muck around with |
|To spoil something by interfering with it. |
| |
| |
|muck in |
|To share accommodation or tasks with others in order to complete a job |
| |
| |
|muck ... out |
|To clean a place, especially where an animal lives, e.g. to muck a stable. |
| |
| |
|muck ... up |
|To spoil a plan. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fail to achieve something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To dirty a place or something such as one’s clothes, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|542 |
|muddle along |
|To engage aimlessly in an activity. |
| |
| |
|muddle through |
|To cope satisfactorily with something despite not having the know-how. |
| |
| |
|muddle … up |
|To confuse two or more things with each other. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|543 |
|mug up |
|To study intensively in preparation for an examination. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|544 |
|mull … over |
|To think and consider about something at length. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|545 |
|muscle in |
|To force one’s way into another’s affairs to gain control. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|546 |
|nail … down |
|To elicit a firm commitment from someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To decide or identify something precisely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|547 |
|narrow down |
|To reduce, e.g. In the second round, the number of finalists will be narrowed down to five. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|548 |
|nibble away at |
|To keep taking small amounts out of a large amount. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|549 |
|nip … off |
|To remove something by pinching or squeezing tightly between finger and thumb. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|550 |
|nod off |
|To begin to fall asleep. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|551 |
|nose … out |
|To discover something after a long search. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|552 |
|notch … up |
|To achieve something such as a victory, total, score, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|553 |
|number off |
|(Soldiers) to call out their number when their turn comes. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|554 |
|occur to |
|(Thought, idea, etc) to come into the mind. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|555 |
|open up |
|(Crack, hole, etc.) to appear and become wider. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin shooting with a weapon, e.g. The gangsters opened up with small arms, but all of them were soon shot dead by the police. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Land) to make it available for development, e.g. The developer is opening up a jungle area for a housing project. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Office, shop, cinema, etc.) to begin operation, e.g. The new cinema is expected to open up soon. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Box, container, etc.) to remove or unfasten the cover, e.g. She opened up her jewellery box and showed us the contents. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Door, window, etc.) to make them open, e.g. The supermarket here opens up at 10:00 every day. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|556 |
|opt out |
|To decide not to participate in a group, activities, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To avoid performing a duty. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|557 |
|order … about |
|To use one’s power or authority to tell someone to do something. |
| |
| |
|order ... out |
|To deploy soldiers, police, etc. for a particular action such as crowd control, dealing with natural disaster, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|558 |
|own up |
|To admit to having done something wrong or embarrassing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|559 |
|pack … away |
|To put something back in its box, case, container, etc. |
| |
| |
|pack … in |
|To cram a lot of things into a space, place, period of time, etc. |
| |
| |
|pack ... off |
|To send someone away. |
| |
| |
|pack up |
|To stop working or close early in business. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|560 |
|pad … out |
|To lengthen a speech or piece of writing with unnecessary material. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|561 |
|page through |
|To turn over the pages of a book, magazine, etc. and read them quickly or casually. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|562 |
|paint … in |
|To make additional painting to a picture. |
| |
| |
|paint … out |
|To erase something with paint so that it is no longer visible. |
| |
| |
|paint … over |
|To cover something with new paint. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|563 |
|pair off |
|To become or form a couple. |
| |
| |
|pair up |
|To form a couple to work together or start a relationship. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|564 |
|pal around |
|To go around or do things together with a friend or with someone as a friend. |
| |
| |
|pal up |
|To form a friendship with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|565 |
|palm off |
|To sell someone something by deceiving them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|566 |
|pan out |
|To end up in a particular way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|567 |
|pander to |
|To give or allow oneself to enjoy the desired pleasure of an immoral habit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|568 |
|pant for |
|To long for or to do something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|569 |
|parcel … out |
|To separate something into parts and hand them out. |
| |
| |
|parcel …off |
|To separate something into parts for sale. |
| |
| |
|parcel … up |
|To make something into a parcel by wrapping it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|570 |
|pare … down |
|To make or become less, or reduce gradually. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|571 |
|part with |
|To unwillingly hand over possession of something to someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|572 |
|partake of |
|To have certain characteristic. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|573 |
|partition … off |
|To divide or separate a room, floor, etc. into parts by erecting a structure such as a light interior wall, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|574 |
|partner up/off |
|To become or make people become partners. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|575 |
|pass around |
|To offer something to each member of a group. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hand something over from one person to the next in a group. |
| |
| |
|pass away |
|To die. |
| |
| |
|pass by |
|To go past someone or something. |
| |
| |
|pass ... down |
|To hand over something such as knowledge, traditions, etc. to people who are younger, those who live after one, to the next generation, etc.|
| |
| |
|pass for |
|To be mistaken as someone else, e.g. with her dressing she could have passed for a wealthy woman. |
| |
| |
|pass off |
|To try to deceive someone that someone else or something is much better, e.g. trying to pass these fake watches off as genuine. |
| |
| |
|pass on |
|To give something such as information, message, disease, etc. to someone else. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make consumers bear higher costs. |
| |
| |
|pass out |
|To faint. |
| |
| |
| |
|To distribute. |
| |
| |
|pass over |
|To select someone instead of the expected person for a promotion, etc. |
| |
| |
|pass up |
|To fail to make use of something such as an opportunity, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|576 |
|patch … together |
|To make something hastily from different components. |
| |
| |
|patch … up |
|To restore friendly relations after a quarrel or dispute. |
| |
| |
| |
|To repair damage to something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To treat someone’s injuries. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|577 |
|pay … back |
|To settle one’s debt with someone, e.g. He is always slow in paying back the money he owes. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay back with something bad, e.g. Jack swore he would pay Jill back for what she did to him. |
| |
| |
|pay for |
|To give someone money in exchange for something, e.g. He paid for his new car in cash. |
| |
| |
|pay ... for |
|To suffer the consequences of one’s actions or be punished for them, e.g. He’ll pay the price for habitually drinking excessively someday. |
| |
| |
|pay in/into |
|To put money in one’s bank account. |
| |
| |
|pay off |
|To settle the outstanding balance for something, e.g. pay off the balance owing for purchase of a car. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce good results. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give someone money to keep quiet about something such as an illegal act. |
| |
| |
| |
|To dismiss someone with a final payment. |
| |
| |
|pay out |
|To hand over money, especially a large sum, for something such as compensation, etc. |
| |
| |
|pay up |
|To settle or be forced to settle one’s debts, e.g. I have already received their third legal letter demanding that I pay up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|578 |
|peck at |
|To eat food slowly due to lack of hunger. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|579 |
|peel off |
|To remove a thin outer layer of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To take one’s clothes off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave a moving group such as a convoy, etc. by changing direction. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|580 |
|peg away |
|To work hard over a long period. |
| |
| |
|peg out |
|To use pegs to fix wet clothes to a washing line to dry. |
| |
| |
| |
|To mark a piece of ground with wooden sticks. |
| |
| |
| |
|To die. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|581 |
|pen … up/in |
|To keep an animal or animals in an enclosed area or confine someone in a restricted space. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|582 |
|pencil … in |
|To temporarily compile a list of something that is subject to change later. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|583 |
|pension … off |
|To terminate someone’s employment, usually because they are officially considered too old to continue working, and pay them a pension. |
| |
| |
| |
|To dispose of something that is not useful any more or outdated. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|584 |
|pep … up |
|To make someone or something more active, energetic or exciting. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|585 |
|perk up |
|To make or become more cheerful or lively. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|586 |
|pertain to |
|To be directly related or applicable to something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|587 |
|peter out |
|To diminish or come to an end gradually. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|588 |
|phase … in |
|To introduce something such as a law, rule, etc. in gradual stages. |
| |
| |
|phase ... out |
|To gradually withdraw something from use. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|589 |
|phone in |
|To telephone someone or a place such as one’s workplace, a radio or television station, police station, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|590 |
|pick at |
|To criticize someone in a petty way. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pull something slightly and repeatedly with one’s fingers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat something taking small bites due to lack of appetite. |
| |
| |
|pick ... off |
|To shoot people or animals one by one from a distance. |
| |
| |
|pick on |
|To repeatedly single out someone for unfair criticism or treatment, e.g. It does appear my teacher’s hobby is picking only on me. |
| |
| |
|pick ... out |
|To choose someone or something from a group, e.g. Despite the vast array of dresses on sale, she couldn’t pick out any one she liked. |
| |
| |
|pick over |
|To examine a number of items and carefully choose some. |
| |
| |
|pick through |
|To look carefully through a number of items and select one. |
| |
| |
|pick up |
|To take something from a surface or floor, e.g. to pick up something one has dropped. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go somewhere and fetch someone; e.g. I’m now on my way to pick up my child from school. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find something by accident, e.g. to pick up a purse, dropped by someone, from a pavement. |
| |
| |
| |
|To learn a skill while working, e.g. pick up the skill of baking while working at the bakery. |
| |
| |
| |
|To collect something from somewhere, e.g. Remind me to pick up my clothes from the laundry on our way home. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go and buy something, e.g. I just remember I’ve to pick up a magazine at the newsagent. |
| |
| |
| |
|To acquire a skill, manner, etc., e.g. Since when have you picked up the disgusting habit of picking your nose? |
| |
| |
| |
|To make an arrest, e.g. He was picked up by the police for attempting to make an illegal entry into a building. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay for something, e.g. His girlfriend’s father picked up the tab for the sumptuous dinner. |
| |
| |
| |
|To improve something, e.g. With an improvement in the economy, sale of consumer goods is expected to pick up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To try to get someone of the opposite sex, e.g. Jack attended the party hoping to pick up a girl, but ended with none. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|591 |
|piddle around |
|To spend time doing unnecessary thing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|592 |
|piece … together |
|To assemble all the facts or information about a situation in order to form a suitable conclusion. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|593 |
|pig out |
|To eat a large amount of food greedily. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|594 |
|pile in/into |
|To get into a place, vehicle, etc. in a disorganized manner. |
| |
| |
|pile on |
|To exaggerate something |
| |
| |
|pile out |
|To leave a place, vehicle, etc. in a disorderly manner. |
| |
| |
|pile up |
|To make or become increasingly larger in quantity or amount. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|595 |
|pin … down |
|To make someone specific about their aim or plan. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|596 |
|pine for |
|To miss and long for someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|597 |
|pipe up |
|To say something suddenly, especially after having been quiet all along. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|598 |
|piss about/around |
|To spend time doing things aimlessly. |
| |
| |
|piss … away |
|To waste something very stupidly. |
| |
| |
|piss off |
|To tell someone to go away. |
| |
| |
|piss … off |
|To annoy someone very much, e.g. He really pisses me off when he blows that flute out of tune for hours on end. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|599 |
|pit … away |
|To set something or someone in competition with something or someone else. |
| |
| |
|pit … out |
|To sweat profusely. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|600 |
|pitch in |
|To work enthusiastically within a group |
| |
| |
|pitch into |
|To attack someone physically or verbally. |
| |
| |
|pitch up |
|To arrive at a particular place. |
| |
|7. Phrasal Verbs 601-700 |
|601 |
|pivot on |
|To depend on something such as an event, idea, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|602 |
|plan ahead |
|To decide on or arrange something in advance, e.g. She has planned ahead so that if she falls ill, there’ll be someone to do her work. |
| |
| |
|plan for |
|To make preparation for something, e.g. He planned for a big turnout at the evening’s outdoor performance but it was a total disaster due to|
|heavy rain. |
| |
| |
|plan on |
|To expect something as planned, e.g. She plans on achieving grade A in all her subjects in the final examination. |
| |
| |
| |
|To intend to do something as planned, e.g. We plan on going to Niagara Falls this Summer and take at least one hundred photographs there. |
| |
| |
|plan ... out |
|To make a careful plan after considering all relevant factors. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|603 |
|plant … out |
|To place a young plant to grow outdoors. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|604 |
|plaster … over |
|To apply plaster to a hole, an old surface, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|605 |
|play about/around |
|To behave in an irresponsible manner; to have a casual relationship with someone. |
| |
| |
|play along |
|To pretend to cooperate for a selfish reason. |
| |
| |
|play … along |
|To deceive or mislead someone in order to gain an advantage. |
| |
| |
|play at |
|To assume a role playfully. |
| |
| |
|play ... back |
|To listen to one’s own recording of something. |
| |
| |
|play ... down |
|To make something appear less important or serious than it really is. |
| |
| |
|play off |
|To compete between two rivals in an extra match to determine their final positioning or decide an outcome. |
| |
| |
|play ... off |
|To involve another person in a dispute for a selfish purpose. |
| |
| |
|play on |
|To exploit someone’s weak and vulnerable point so as to gain selfishly. |
| |
| |
|play up |
|To fail to work or operate properly or to cause problems. |
| |
| |
| |
|To devote all of one’s physical and mental powers in a particular activity. |
| |
| |
|play ... up |
|To exaggerate the importance of someone or something. |
| |
| |
|play up to |
|To behave in a way that brings benefit to oneself. |
| |
| |
|play with |
|To tamper with something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To treat someone inconsiderately for one’s own amusement. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|606 |
|plough … back |
|To use profit made in a business for business purposes, usually to expand it. |
| |
| |
|plough into |
|(Vehicle, etc) to be driven violently into something or someone such as a crowd, etc., especially by a driver who loses control of the |
|vehicle. |
| |
| |
|plough on |
|To continue doing something that requires considerable time and effort. |
| |
| |
|plough through |
|To persist in something such as studying a textbook, etc. despite the considerable time and effort required. |
| |
| |
|plough ... up |
|To break up the surface of the ground by repeated walking on it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|607 |
|pluck at |
|To pull something quickly and repeatedly with the fingers. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|608 |
|plug away |
|To keep working hard at something. |
| |
| |
|plug … in/into |
|To connect a piece of electrical equipment to another or into a socket, e.g. Why do you turn on the new television? I |
|haven’t plugged it into the socket. |
| |
| |
|plug up |
|To block or become blocked with something, e.g. Someone threw potato peelings down the drain, and they plugged up the pipe. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|609 |
|plump for |
|To make a selection after proper consideration. |
| |
| |
|plump … up |
|To make something such as pillows, cushions, etc. bigger and softer by shaking them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|610 |
|plunge in |
|To act quickly and rashly on a course of action. |
| |
| |
|plunge into |
|To act suddenly without a careful thought. |
| |
| |
| |
|To push something forcibly and deeply into something else, e.g. plunging a dagger into the victim’s chest. |
| |
| |
| |
|To experience an unpleasant situation, e.g. the whole building was plunged into darkness. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|611 |
|ply … with |
|To keep providing someone food and drink. |
| |
| |
| |
|To direct numerous questions at someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|612 |
|point … out |
|To make someone aware of a fact, e.g. A witness pointed out to the police the scene where the incident took place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To indicate to someone a particular direction, e.g. Someone in response pointed out to me the road that leads to the hotel. |
| |
| |
| |
|To draw one’s attention to something, e.g. He pointed out a spelling mistake on the signboard to me. |
| |
| |
|point to |
|To use a finger, usually the forefinger, to indicate a particular direction, e.g. The child pointed to the woman on the photo as her mother.|
| |
| |
| |
|To cite something as evidence, e.g. All the evidence pointed to him as the culprit. |
| |
| |
|point ... up |
|To make known the truth or importance of something, e.g. the high drug abuse figures point up the need for more vigorous enforcement of the |
|existing laws on drugs. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|613 |
|poke around/about |
|To look or search around a place for something or information about someone’s life, etc., e.g. poking about in the warehouse looking for |
|something to steal. |
| |
| |
|poke at |
|To jab repeatedly with something sharp or pointed, e.g. to poke at a fire with a poker to make it burn better. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|614 |
|polish … off |
|To finish something such as food, work, etc. quickly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To kill or defeat someone. |
| |
| |
|polish … up |
|To improve a skill or an ability by practising it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|615 |
|ponce about/around |
|To move or behave in an idle, weak or effeminate manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|616 |
|poop out |
|To stop functioning. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discontinue or not participate in an activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|617 |
|pop off |
|To die suddenly. |
| |
| |
|pop in/out |
|To come/go briefly without advance warning. |
| |
| |
|pop … on |
|To quickly put on a piece of clothing. |
| |
| |
|pop up |
|To appear suddenly and unexpectedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|618 |
|pore over |
|To be absorbed in the reading or study of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|619 |
|portion out |
|To divide something into parts for distribution. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|620 |
|pot … on |
|To transplant a growing plant from a small pot to a large one. |
| |
| |
|pot … up |
|To transplant a seedling into a flowerpot. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|621 |
|pounce on |
|To spring or seize something suddenly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To notice a mistake and take swift advantage of it by expressing a critical assessment of it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|622 |
|pour … out |
|To express one’s feelings to someone in an unrestrained way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|623 |
|preside over |
|To be in charge of a situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|624 |
|press … for |
|To persist in asking for something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To strive hard to achieve something. |
| |
| |
|press on/ahead |
|To continue doing something in a determined way. |
| |
| |
|press … on/upon |
|To insist on someone accepting an offer or gift. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|625 |
|presume on/upon |
|To unjustifiably regard something such as a good relationship with someone, etc. as entitling one to privileges, e.g. presuming on the |
|relationship to borrow a large sum of money. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|626 |
|prevail on/upon |
|To persuade someone to do something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|627 |
|prey on |
|(Animals and birds) to hunt and kill other animals and birds for food. |
| |
| |
| |
|To exploit, influence or deceive weaker people. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause constant worry or distress to someone, e.g. the problem has been preying on my mind. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|628 |
|prick … out |
|To place a young plant in a specially prepared hole in the earth. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|629 |
|print … out |
|To produce a printed paper copy of information or document stored on a computer, e.g. I can’t print this document out now because my printer|
|has no ink. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|630 |
|prize … out |
|To get or by using force to get information from someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|631 |
|proceed against |
|To take legal action against someone. |
| |
| |
|proceed from |
|To originate from something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|632 |
|profit by/from |
|To learn from something that happens or to benefit from a situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|633 |
|prop … up |
|To support or assist someone or something that would otherwise fail or decline. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lean against something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|634 |
|provide against |
|To make plans in order to forestall a bad situation happening. |
| |
| |
|provide for |
|To prepare or arrange for the needs of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|635 |
|psych … out |
|To intimidate an opponent by appearing overly confident or say things that will make him feel worried, nervous and less confident. |
| |
| |
|psych ... up |
|To get mentally prepared in order to build up one’s confidence for something challenging. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|636 |
|puff … out |
|To make something such as one’s cheeks, etc. swollen by filling them with air. |
| |
| |
|puff up |
|(Arm, leg, etc.) to swell due to injury or infection. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something swell by filling them with air. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|637 |
|pull ahead |
|(Vehicle) to get in front of another, especially by moving faster. |
| |
| |
|pull apart |
|To separate people or animals when they are fighting, e.g. Their argument suddenly developed into a fight and the others had |
|to pull them apart. |
| |
| |
|pull at |
|To hold something and pull more than once; e.g. The wife pulled at the husband’s shirt as he was walking faster. |
| |
| |
| |
|To draw in smoke while smoking by inhaling deeply. |
| |
| |
|pull away |
|To start a car, etc. and drive away; e.g. I waved to the driver as the car was pulling away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To overtake another vehicle and leave it behind by driving faster, e.g. the ambulance is pulling away from the other vehicles on the |
|highway. |
| |
| |
|pull back |
|To withdraw from an undertaking, e.g. to pull back from a joint venture due to an unsettled dispute. |
| |
| |
|pull ... down |
|To demolish a building, e.g. had to pull that pre-war building down as it had fallen into disuse. |
| |
| |
|pull ... in |
|(Vehicle) to stop at the side of the road, e.g. The driver pulled in as directed by a traffic policeman |
| |
| |
| |
|(Train) to arrive at a station, e.g. As the train pulled in, more people move onto the platform. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Show) attracts a lot of people, e.g. the circus has been pulling in big audiences daily. |
| |
| |
| |
|To earn money, e.g. His new business has been pulling in a lot of money. |
| |
| |
|pull ... off |
|To succeed in doing something or winning something difficult, e.g. his sculpture pulled off the highest bid in the auction. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drive to the side of the road or a side road, e.g. We pulled off the road for a bite before resuming our journey. |
| |
| |
|pull ... out |
|(Train) to depart from a station, e.g. There was much waving among the people as the train started to pull out of the station. |
| |
| |
| |
|To retreat from an area, e.g. Most of the troops have been pulled out as the situation has improved considerably. |
| |
| |
| |
|To withdraw from an undertaking, e.g. One of the partners has decided to pull out of the venture as it is no longer profitable to carry on. |
| |
| |
|pull over |
|To be ordered to drive a vehicle to the side of the road, e.g. The policeman waved to the driver to pull over. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drive a vehicle to the side of the road, e.g. I pulled over and waited for them in the car. |
| |
| |
|pull through |
|To get through an illness or a difficult situation, e.g. He has managed to pull through from a recent bout of depression. |
| |
| |
|pull together |
|To work hard together in a task or undertaking, e.g. If they all pull together, they could easily finish the work ahead of schedule. |
| |
| |
|pull up |
|To bring a vehicle to a halt, e.g. The driver pulled up when signalled to do so by the policeman. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|638 |
|pump … into |
|To shoot someone several times, e.g. A motorcyclist rode aside his car, pumped bullets into the driver and sped off. |
| |
| |
|pump out |
|To produce or emit something in large quantities or amounts, e.g. In a supermarket, prices after prices of the products on sale are pumped |
|out of a speaker for the benefit of shoppers. |
| |
| |
|pump … up |
|To fill something with air, liquid, gas, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To play a piece of music louder. |
| |
| |
| |
|To increase someone’s enthusiasm or excitement. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|639 |
|punch in |
|To record the time of arrival at the workplace on a card by making use of a special machine, e.g. As I’m late most of the time, I asked my |
|closest trustworthy mate to punch in for me without anyone noticing it. |
| |
| |
|punch out |
|To record the time of departure from the workplace on a card, e.g. Some of my colleagues leave early and when the day’s work ends I punch |
|out for them carefully without anyone noticing it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To strike someone so hard with the fist that they fall over. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|640 |
|push ahead |
|To carry on persistently with what one is doing. |
| |
| |
|push along |
|To go from a place. |
| |
| |
|push around/about |
|To order someone around without due respect for his feeling. |
| |
| |
|push aside |
|To cease thinking about an upsetting event. |
| |
| |
|push for |
|To insist on making a request for something, or for something to be done which is felt to be necessary. |
| |
| |
|push forward |
|To advance or make progress constantly despite difficulties. |
| |
| |
|push in |
|To dispense unasked for advice or join in a conversation, etc. which does not concern one. |
| |
| |
|push off |
|To jump queue. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave or to tell someone rudely to leave. |
| |
| |
|push on |
|To carry on with what one is doing. |
| |
| |
|push ... over |
|To cause someone or something to fall to the ground by pushing them. |
| |
| |
|push ... through |
|To get a bill accepted for discussion in parliament by an opposition member. |
| |
| |
|push ... up |
|To cause an increase in something such as demand, prices, investment. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|641 |
|put about |
|To spread false information or unfounded rumours. |
| |
| |
|put … aside |
|To save money regularly for a future purpose. |
| |
| |
|put … away |
|To keep someone in a prison or mental hospital, e.g. He was put away for good for a series of murders he committed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat or drink large quantities of food or drink, e.g. Every day the child puts away twice the amount of his father. |
| |
| |
| |
|To save money, e.g. Every month he puts away a moderate sum of money as saving for the future. |
| |
| |
| |
|To return things to their storage space, e.g. The father nearly fell when he stepped on a toy that should have been put away. |
| |
| |
|put back |
|To return something to its original place, e.g. The children have been taught to put back their toys when they have finished playing with |
|them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To postpone something, e.g. The football matches have to be put back due to adverse weather conditions. |
| |
| |
| |
|To delay something, e.g. Heavy rains and flooding for the past weeks have put the construction work back by at least a month. |
| |
| |
|put ... down |
|To lay something or someone on a surface, e.g. She put the baby gently down in the cot. |
| |
| |
| |
|To criticize or belittle someone, e.g. Nobody wants to be around him as all he does is putting others down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put an end to an insurgency, revolt, etc., e.g. Reinforcements were called in to put down a regional rebellion. |
| |
| |
| |
|To kill an animal in order to end its suffering, e.g. His dad’s job is to put down severely diseased animals. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay a specified sum as a deposit, e.g. The sales agent asked if I could put $10,000down on the house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reason out, e.g. Her friends put her sudden depression down to the passing of her husband. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop doing something, e.g. Her father interrupted Jill by asking when she would put the phone down after she had talked for nearly an |
|hour. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find something interesting and absorbing, e.g. What a book it was; once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down until I completed it.|
| |
| |
|put in |
|To put something in something else, e.g. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put someone somewhere, e.g. The children decided to put their old mother in an old folks’ home. |
| |
| |
| |
|To invest time, money, effort, etc. into something, e.g. To date we have put $100,000 in the business. |
| |
| |
| |
|To add permanent equipment to something such as a home, e.g. They are putting in an additional bedroom. |
| |
| |
| |
|To request for something, e.g. The stolen wallet was handed over to the police, but the owner has not put in a claim for it. |
| |
| |
|put ... off |
|To postpone something, e.g. They intend to put off having a baby until they can afford it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To delay meeting someone, e.g. He’s been calling me day and night to meet him over a matter, but I keep putting it off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lose interest in doing something, e.g. The new assignment is challenging, but the distance he has to travel every day |
|really puts him off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone feel offended, e.g. Everyone who knows her is put off by her excessively critical point of view. |
| |
| |
|put ... on |
|To become fatter and heavier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wear a piece of clothing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To press the brake when the driver wants the vehicle to stop. |
| |
| |
| |
|To apply make-up, creams, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pretend to have a particular way of speaking. |
| |
| |
|put out/put ... out |
|To extinguish a fire, cigarette, etc., e.g. One of the men helping to put out the forest fire could be the arsonist responsible for it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To agree to have sex with someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To upset or annoy someone, e.g. Jack borrowed my car and promised to return it the next day, but now three days later I’m really put out by |
|not having got my car back. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make extra work for or cause problems to someone, e.g. My neighbour really put me out when he called in the middle of the night to help |
|push his car as it couldn’t start. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put something outside the house, e.g. Every night before the elderly lady goes to bed, she puts her cat out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To extend one’ arm, hand, leg or foot, e.g. He put out his arms and legs when he lay down; I tripped over one of his limbs and landed on top|
|of him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce something, e.g. The publisher is putting out a paperback edition of the book at the end of the month. |
| |
| |
|put ... through |
|To connect someone by telephone to another; to finance one’s child’s education; to be made to undergo a bad experience. |
| |
| |
|put ... to |
|To ask at a discussion, etc., e.g. Members of the audience were allowed to put questions to the individual panellists. |
| |
| |
| |
|To affix one’s signature to a document, letter, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause difficulty, inconvenience, etc, to someone, e.g. I would like to ask my friends to help me paint my house but hesitate |
|to put them to such trouble. |
| |
| |
|put ... together |
|To fit together the component parts of something, e.g. Putting the jigsaw puzzle pieces together is going to take a long time. |
| |
| |
|put ... up |
|To provide accommodation temporarily to someone, e.g. While I was in the city for a week, I put up with my cousin. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suggest a topic for discussion, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To offer something for sale or auction, e.g. He is putting up his set of antique furniture for auction. |
| |
| |
| |
|To finance an enterprise, etc., e.g. An unknown donor put up most of the money to build a public library. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put something, e.g. Huge tents were put up to house the evacuees. |
| |
| |
| |
|He intends to put up a real fight all the way despite being regarded as the underdog in the match. |
| |
| |
|put ... up to |
|To incite someone to do something stupid, illegal or dangerous, e.g. When Jack was arrested for injuring Jill’s ex-husband, he accused Jill |
|of putting him up to it by threatening to leave him for good. |
| |
| |
|put up with |
|To endure an unpleasant situation or tolerate a nasty person, e.g. She’s been thinking how long she is going to put up with her husband |
|coming home blind drunk. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|642 |
|puzzle out |
|To consider a difficult problem carefully with a view to solving it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|643 |
|quarrel with |
|To disagree with someone or complain about something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|644 |
|rack … up |
|To accumulate or increase something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|645 |
|rain down |
|To fall in large quantities. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|646 |
|rake … in |
|To make a lot of money. |
| |
| |
|rake … up |
|To recall a past event that is best forgotten. |
| |
| |
| |
|To gather someone or something together for a purpose such as forming a sport team, volunteering for a campaign, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|647 |
|rally round |
|To bring or come together for a worthy cause. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|648 |
|ram … home |
|To forcibly inculcate through the process of study and comprehension. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|649 |
|ramble on |
|To talk or write at length in a tedious manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|650 |
|ration out |
|To distribute something in small controlled amounts. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|651 |
|rattle around |
|To be in a space that is in excess of what is needed. |
| |
| |
|rattle … off |
|To say or produce something quickly and easily. |
| |
| |
|rattle on |
|To talk quickly and at length. |
| |
| |
|rattle through |
|To do something very quickly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|652 |
|react against |
|To respond with an extremely unfriendly attitude or a contrary course of action. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|653 |
|read into |
|To regard something as having a meaning or importance when this is not the case. |
| |
| |
|read … out |
|To say out what is written on something such as a list, etc. for people to hear. |
| |
| |
|read ... through |
|To check for mistakes by careful reading of the whole thing. |
| |
| |
|read ... up |
|To acquire information or knowledge by reading a lot about a subject. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|654 |
|reason … out |
|To find a solution to a problem by considering all the possibilities. |
| |
| |
|reason with |
|To persuade someone to be more sensible with rational argument. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|655 |
|rebound on/upon |
|To have an unexpected bad effect on someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|656 |
|reckon … in |
|To include all relevant data in one’s calculation. |
| |
| |
|reckon on |
|To expect anything unforeseen to happen while plans are being made. |
| |
| |
|reckon with |
|To take into account all that may happen |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|657 |
|reconcile … to |
|To make someone able to accept an unpleasant or disagreeable thing or situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|658 |
|reduce … to |
|To change something into a shorter simpler form, e.g. the passage can be reduced to four paragraphs. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lower the ranks of an army officer, e.g. to reduce an officer’s ranks to an ordinary soldier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To destroy a building by burning or demolition, e.g. to reduce to ashes or rubble. |
| |
| |
| |
|To degrade someone’s existence, e.g. to reduce one to squat on public land. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|659 |
|reel … in |
|To turn the reel of a fishing rod to draw in the line, e.g. to reel in a fish. |
| |
| |
|reel ... off |
|To say something quickly and easily, e.g. to reel off lists of team members. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|660 |
|refer to |
|To arrange someone to see a medical specialist, e.g. His doctor refers him to an ophthalmologist. |
| |
| |
| |
|To mention or allude to someone, e.g. She was warned not to refer to him again. |
| |
| |
| |
|To consult a source of information, e.g. He often refers to an encyclopaedia for factual information. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|661 |
|reflect on/upon |
|To think deeply or carefully about, e.g. Sooner or later, one has to reflect on one’s future wellbeing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To expose the good or bad side of someone, e.g. His behaviour reflects on his level of education. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|662 |
|regale … with |
|To entertain someone with conversation or story-telling, e.g. He often regales his friends with stories of his romantic involvements. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|663 |
|rein … in |
|To have strict control of something, or keep it within limits. |
| |
| |
| |
|To control the movement of a horse by pulling on its reins. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|664 |
|rejoice in |
|To feel great joy, e.g. he rejoices in his examination success. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have an extraordinary or strange-sounding name. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|665 |
|relate to |
|To show a direct connection between two things, e.g. Low wages are directly related to low level of education. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be able to have a good relationship with others, e.g. He has difficulty relating to older people. |
| |
| |
| |
|To feel sympathy for or identify with someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be concerned with someone or something, e.g. It does not relate to what we are talking about. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|666 |
|relieve … of |
|To remove the post, duties, responsibility, command, etc. of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|667 |
|rely on/upon |
|To trust someone or something fully to do what they have to do. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be dependent on something to survive, e.g. They have to rely on the handicraft for their income. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|668 |
|remark on/upon |
|To pass comment on someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|669 |
|remind … of |
|To make someone remember about something because of a resemblance, e.g. the area reminds her of her early childhood days. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|670 |
|render … down |
|To purify fat by melting down. |
| |
| |
|render … up |
|To hand something to someone such as a ruler, enemy, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|671 |
|repair to |
|To go to a place, e.g. to repair to the sitting room. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|672 |
|report back |
|To send or bring something back to someone, e.g. to investigate an incident and report back to one’s superiors. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|673 |
|reside in |
|(Power, right, etc.) to be present in someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|674 |
|resolve … into |
|To become or make something into separate parts. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|675 |
|resonate with |
|To be full of something such as meaning, feeling, sound, etc., e.g. a household resonating with incessant shouting. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|676 |
|resort to |
|To choose and use a, especially bad, course of action to succeed in something or resolve a problem. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|677 |
|rest on/upon |
|To depend or be based on something, e.g. the success of the club rests on the number of members it has. |
| |
| |
| |
|To direct one’s look on someone or something, e.g. to rest one’s eyes on the scenery. |
| |
| |
|rest with |
|To be answerable for something, e.g. the responsibility for day-to-day operation rests with the manager. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|678 |
|result in |
|To have a specified end or outcome, e.g. the accident resulted in the death of some passengers. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|679 |
|revel in |
|To take great pleasure in something, such as attention, praise, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|680 |
|revert to |
|To return to a former state, condition, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|681 |
|revolve around |
|To treat something as the most important purpose, e.g. her life revolves around her children. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move in a circular orbit around something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|682 |
|rid … of |
|To remove someone or something bad from a place such as one’s body, working place, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|683 |
|ride … down |
|To knock someone down when riding a horse. |
| |
| |
|ride on |
|To travel in or on a vehicle or horse. |
| |
| |
| |
|To depend on someone or something. |
| |
| |
|ride … out |
|To come safely through, especially a bad situation. |
| |
| |
|ride up |
|(Skirt, etc.) to move upwards exposing the body. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|684 |
|rig … out |
|To provide someone with special clothes to wear. |
| |
| |
|rig … up |
|To make something in a makeshift way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|685 |
|ring back |
|To make a return call by telephone. |
| |
| |
|ring in |
|To telephone a place, especially one’s working place. |
| |
| |
|ring off |
|To end a telephone call. |
| |
| |
|ring out |
|To have something loud and clear come from something else. |
| |
| |
|ring round |
|To make telephone calls to a group of people for a specific purpose. |
| |
| |
|ring ... up |
|To make a telephone call to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|686 |
|rinse out |
|To wash something, especially to get rid of soap from it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|687 |
|rip off |
|To overcharge, cheat, or steal from someone, e.g. The souvenir shopkeeper really ripped us off. |
| |
| |
|rip through |
|To move somewhere at high speed and in a really violent way. |
| |
| |
|rip ... up |
|To tear something into pieces, e.g. Jill ripped up Jack’s photos when she found out he is dating other girls. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|688 |
|rise above |
|To deal with any unpleasant situations without being adversely affected by it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be sensible and refrain from immoral acts. |
| |
| |
|rise against |
|To attempt to seize power and replace the government. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|689 |
|roll around/round |
|(Something that happens regularly) to happen again. |
| |
| |
|roll away |
|To stretch up to the horizon, e.g. green pastures rolling away into the distance. |
| |
| |
|roll ... back |
|To reduce the influence, importance, etc. of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reverse the progress of something. |
| |
| |
|roll … down |
|To open in specific cases, e.g. to roll down car’s window to open it. |
| |
| |
|roll in |
|To come in large numbers or quantities; |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrive later than usual or expected without being concerned. |
| |
| |
|roll ... out |
|To lay out something flat and thin, e.g. to roll out the red carpet. |
| |
| |
| |
|To officially launch a new product. |
| |
| |
|roll over |
|To change bodily position while lying down, e.g. to roll over to the left. |
| |
| |
|roll up |
|To arrive, e.g. to roll up late or unexpectedly. |
| |
| |
|roll ... up |
|To fold or shorten something, e.g. to roll one’s sleeves up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To close a car’s window, e.g. to roll the window up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|690 |
|romp through |
|To succeed in doing or finishing something quickly and easily. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|691 |
|roof … in/over |
|To put a roof over something, e.g. to roof in an area. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|692 |
|root for |
|To support a sport team by shouting and cheering. |
| |
| |
|root … out |
|To find and get rid of someone and something. |
| |
| |
|root … up |
|To dig and pull something such as weeds, etc. up with its roots. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|693 |
|rope … in |
|To persuade someone despite their reluctance to participate in something, e.g. to rope in the neighbours to be vigilantes. |
| |
| |
|rope … off |
|To isolate an area with ropes to prevent access, e.g. police roped off the area where the dead body was found. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|694 |
|rot away |
|To decay or cause something to decay completely, or break into pieces. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|695 |
|rough … in |
|To live in discomfort with only basic necessities. |
| |
| |
|rough … out |
|To draw out a preliminary sketch without the details. |
| |
| |
|rough … up |
|To attack someone and beat them up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|696 |
|round … down |
|To reduce an exact figure to the nearest whole number. |
| |
| |
|round … off |
|To end something such as an entertainment, discussion, etc. in a satisfying or suitable way. |
| |
| |
| |
|To smoothen the edges of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce an exact figure to the nearest whole number. |
| |
| |
|round … up |
|To gather up a group of people or things for a specific purpose, e.g. to round up the illegal immigrants for detention. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|697 |
|rub along |
|To cope or get along with a situation or someone without difficulty. |
| |
| |
|rub down |
|To make something dry, smooth, or clean by rubbing with something else such as a cloth, sandpaper, etc. |
| |
| |
|rub off |
|To remove something such as rust, impurities, etc. from a surface by rubbing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To transfer a feeling, quality, or habit onto someone else, e.g. one’s cheerfulness, enthusiasm, etc. seem to rub off on everyone else. |
| |
| |
|rub ... out |
|To erase something such as writing, stain, mark, etc. from a surface by rubbing it with something else such as eraser, cloth, sandpaper, |
|etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|698 |
|ruck … up |
|To make or form folds, creases, etc. on something such as cloth, coat, etc., e.g. shirt is all rucked up after washing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|699 |
|rule … out |
|To conclude that something is not possible, e.g. The unstable political situation rules out any increase in foreign investments. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|700 |
|run across |
|To meet or find someone or something by chance, e.g. I ran across my former classmate this morning. |
| |
| |
|run after |
|To chase someone or something, e.g. His dog is very fond of running after cats. |
| |
| |
|run along |
|To leave some place, e.g. He has to run along for an appointment. |
| |
| |
|run around |
|To run within a particular area, e.g. He likes to run around in the park. |
| |
| |
| |
|To spend considerable amount of time with someone whom one likes, e.g. Jack has been running around with his neighbour’s daughter. |
| |
| |
|run away |
|To leave or escape from a place, e.g. the child ran away from home because of the abusive parents. |
| |
| |
| |
|To avoid facing a problem or difficult situation, e.g. He has now learned to face his problem instead of running away from it. |
| |
| |
|run away with |
|To go away secretly or illegally with someone, e.g. He ran away with his neighbour’s daughter. |
| |
| |
| |
|To win something such as a competition, match, etc. easily, e.g. Liverpool ran away with the European soccer championship again. |
| |
| |
| |
|To steal something, e.g. the cashier has run away with the whole week’s takings. |
| |
| |
|run down |
|To get knocked, and injured or killed by a vehicle, e.g. His dog was run down by a speeding car. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce or become reduced, e.g. Our joint savings is running down. |
| |
| |
|run ... down |
|To criticize or belittle someone or something, e.g. He has a habit of running others down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To find someone or something after a long search, e.g. He finally ran me down at my new house in the same neighbourhood. |
| |
| |
| |
|To lose or cause to lose power and stops or cause to stop functioning, e.g. The clock has stopped functioning as its batteries have run |
|down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To kill someone or something with a vehicle, e.g. He was run down by a speeding motorcycle while crossing a street. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move quickly to another area for something, e.g. I’ll run down to the store for a couple of bottles of beer. |
| |
| |
|run into |
|To knock someone or something with a vehicle, e.g. The brake of his car failed and the car ran into the van in front. |
| |
| |
| |
|To meet someone by chance, e.g. I ran into my former classmate at the library yesterday. |
| |
| |
| |
|To encounter problem, etc., e.g. They ran into difficulties midway in their climb up the mountain. |
| |
| |
|run off |
|To leave hurriedly and secretly, e.g. He ran off from the detention centre without anyone’s notice. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce copies of something, e.g. We have to run off some more of this copy to meet additional demand. |
| |
| |
| |
|To write something such as speech, poem, piece of music, etc. quickly and easily, e.g. He could run off a long speech in a couple of hours. |
| |
| |
|run off with |
|To go away with someone for a specific reason, e.g. He runs off with his girlfriend’s sister. |
| |
| |
| |
|To steal, e.g. The villagers know he ran off with one of the horses. |
| |
| |
|run on |
|To carry on longer than is expected, e.g. The meeting ran on well past midnight. |
| |
| |
|run out |
|To cause none left, e.g. A sudden blackout has caused all shops in the area to run out of candles. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become no longer valid, e.g. The agreement ran out last month. |
| |
| |
| |
|To use up or be used up, e.g. The bakery sometimes runs out of sugar before new supply arrives. |
| |
| |
| |
|To quickly leave a place, building, etc., e.g. He opened the door of the house and ran out |
| |
| |
|run over |
|To knock and drive over someone or something with a vehicle, e.g. Our cat was run over by a car and died instantly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To overflow, e.g. Someone fills a tank with so much oil that some runs over. |
| |
| |
| |
|To exceed the expected time, e.g. The show ran over, and I missed the last bus. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move from where one is to where someone is, e.g. When I saw my mother-in-law, I decided instantly not to run over to greet her. |
| |
| |
| |
|To revise one’s lessons, e.g. The students run through the question-and–answer part again. |
| |
| |
|run through |
|To push something through someone, e.g. It is not easy to run a sword completely through someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go over something quickly, e.g. The shopkeeper runs through the list of items with the customer. |
| |
| |
|run to |
|To cost a certain amount, e.g. The cost of the damage is estimated to run to five million pounds. |
| |
| |
|run ... up |
|To make something quickly, e.g. They ran this project up well ahead of schedule. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accumulate something such as bill, etc., e.g. Her parents bar her from using the telephone as she habitually ran up an enormous phone |
|bill. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move quickly to a higher level, e.g. They had a fun race to see who would be the first one to run up and reach the peak of the hill. |
| |
| |
| |
|To move quickly to someone or something, e.g. When Santa Claus arrived, all the children ran up to him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To raise a flag. |
| |
| |
|run up against |
|To experience or meet an unexpected problem, e.g. We ran up against some unforeseen difficulties when we built that patio. |
| |
|8. Phrasal Verbs 701-800 |
|701 |
|rush about/around |
|To do something with urgent haste, e.g. Her family members were rushing around, making preparations on the day of her wedding. |
| |
| |
|rush into |
|To get hastily involved in something without sufficient consideration, e.g. He was invited to be the manager of a football team, but he does|
|not want to rush into it before careful consideration. |
| |
| |
|rush ... out |
|To produce and distribute something very quickly. |
| |
| |
|rush ... through |
|To deal with something hurriedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|702 |
|rust away |
|To be gradually destroyed by rust. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|703 |
|rustle … up |
|To make something quickly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|704 |
|sack out |
|To go to sleep or bed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|705 |
|saddle up |
|To put a saddle on a horse. |
| |
| |
|saddle … with |
|To give someone a difficult or boring task. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|706 |
|sail through |
|To succeed easily at something, especially a test or examination. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|707 |
|sally forth |
|To set out to perform a challenging task. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|708 |
|salt … away |
|To secretly store something, especially money, for the future. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|709 |
|save on |
|To prevent wastage of something by minimizing the use of it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|710 |
|savour of |
|To have a slight trace or indication of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|711 |
|saw at |
|To use a saw to cut something. |
| |
| |
|saw … off |
|To remove something with a saw. |
| |
| |
|saw … up |
|To use a saw to cut something into pieces. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|712 |
|scale … down |
|To reduce the size of operations of an organization, plan, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|713 |
|scare … into |
|To frighten or threaten someone into doing something. |
| |
| |
|scare … away/off |
|To make or keep someone or something away by frightening them. |
| |
| |
|scare up |
|To make or do something from a limited source. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|714 |
|schlep around |
|To spend one’s time idling or lazing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|715 |
|scope … out |
|To take a look at someone or something to understand their true nature. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|716 |
|score … out/through |
|To delete something by drawing a line through it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|717 |
|scrape by/along |
|To manage to survive on the bare minimum. |
| |
| |
|scrape in/into |
|To just manage to succeed in getting something, e.g. just scraped into a position or college. |
| |
| |
|scrape through |
|To only just succeed in something such as passing an examination, etc. |
| |
| |
|scrape together/up |
|To manage to accumulate, collect or get something with difficulty. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|718 |
|scratch … out |
|To cancel or strike out something by drawing a line through it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|719 |
|scream at |
|To become blatantly obvious or conspicuous. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|720 |
|screen … out |
|To protect from something dangerous or harmful entering or passing through. |
| |
| |
| |
|To investigate someone or something to ascertain their suitability for a job, position, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|721 |
|screw around |
|To fool about. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have sex with different partners. |
| |
| |
|screw … out of |
|To act dishonestly or unfairly in order to deprive someone of money or something valuable, e.g. The man was finally arrested after screwing |
|many people out of their savings. |
| |
| |
|screw ... over |
|To cheat or treat someone unfairly. |
| |
| |
|screw up |
|To manage or handle a situation badly, wrongly or ineffectively, e.g. He volunteered to help me in my work but instead screwed it up. |
| |
| |
|screw ... up |
|To cause someone to be emotionally or mentally disturbed, e.g. It really screwed her up when her flight was seriously delayed by a bomb |
|hoax. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|722 |
|scrub … out |
|To thoroughly clean something such as a place, objects, etc. |
| |
| |
|scrub up |
|To thoroughly clean one’s hands and arms before doing a surgery. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|723 |
|scrum down |
|To form a scrum during a game of rugby. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|724 |
|scrunch … up |
|To crush or squeeze something into a round, compressed mass. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|725 |
|seal … in |
|To close something securely to prevent what it contains from getting out. |
| |
| |
|seal ... off |
|To cut off an area and deny access to and from it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|726 |
|search … out |
|To try to find something by looking. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|727 |
|section … off |
|To divide an area into distinct parts by marking border lines between them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|728 |
|see about |
|To attend to someone or deal with something, e.g. I would see about the food and drinks for the guests. |
| |
| |
| |
|To inform or consult someone about a matter, e.g. I think I had better see someone in the government department about the potholes on the |
|road leading to my house. |
| |
| |
|see around/round |
|To visit a place and move about looking at it, e.g. They would like to see around the cave. |
| |
| |
|see in |
|To notice a particular quality in someone or something, e.g. They see in him a young player with great potential. |
| |
| |
| |
|To show the visitor the way in, e.g. He was told to see in only the members when they arrive. |
| |
| |
| |
|To celebrate the new year, e.g. Each year millions of people throughout the world see in the new year. |
| |
| |
|see ... off |
|To send someone off at the place of departure such as airport, railway station, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To evict an intruder from a property, e.g. Security guards were notified to see him off the premises. |
| |
| |
|see ... out |
|To accompany a guest to the door when he or she leaves. |
| |
| |
| |
|To continue with something until it completes, not necessarily with enthusiasm, e.g. He is not enthusiastic but promised to see out the |
|two-week campaign against smoking. |
| |
| |
|see over |
|To examine something with a view to acquiring it, e.g. He is seeing over the antique furniture on behalf of a potential buyer. |
| |
| |
|see through |
|To discover the truth about someone e.g. She could see through his deviant behaviour that he is not a suitable partner. |
| |
| |
| |
|To provide help and care to someone who is in need, e.g. A home was set up in the area for the physically handicapped that should see them |
|through the rest of their life. |
| |
| |
| |
|To persist with something until it is completed, e.g. He allocates time from his busy schedule to see the project through. |
| |
| |
|see to |
|To deal with something or do something for someone, e.g. see to the needs of the poor. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|729 |
|seek … out |
|To look for and find someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|730 |
|seize on/upon |
|To grasp eagerly and take advantage of something such as an opportunity, idea, excuse, etc. |
| |
| |
|seize up |
|(Machine parts) to become jammed due to lack of oil, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|731 |
|sell off |
|To get rid of unwanted things at cheap prices, especially when one needs the money. |
| |
| |
|sell … on |
|To make someone enthusiastic about something such as an idea, new products, novelties, etc. |
| |
| |
|sell oneself |
|To offer sex in return for money. |
| |
| |
|sell out |
|To sell all of a particular product with none left, e.g. The latest model of dishwasher was sold out in the first week. |
| |
| |
|sell ... out |
|To desert one’s beliefs, principles, etc. for personal gains. |
| |
| |
|sell up |
|To betray someone for one’s own financial or material benefit. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sell one’s assets and other possessions such as house, business, yacht, car, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|732 |
|send away |
|To cause to go or be delivered to another place, e.g. He was sent away to live with his grandmother when he was little. |
| |
| |
| |
|His duties include sending away numerous brochures. |
| |
| |
|send … back |
|To return something to where it came from, e.g. The letter was wrongly delivered so I sent it back to the post office. |
| |
| |
|send ... down |
|To make something decreased in value, e.g. The company’s recent performance has sent its rating down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To send someone to prison, e.g. He was sent down even for a minor offence. |
| |
| |
| |
|To expel from a university, especially for immoral conduct. |
| |
| |
|send for |
|To summon someone to appear before one or order something to be sent to one. |
| |
| |
|send ... off |
|To order a player to leave the field by showing him a red card, as in a football game, and be excluded from further participation in the |
|match. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause to be delivered by post, e.g. He sent off the parcel yesterday. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrange someone to go to another place, e.g. They sent the children off to their grandparents for the weekend. |
| |
| |
| |
|To order something to be delivered to one, e.g. We have sent off an order for some pizza. |
| |
| |
|send ... on |
|To pass on something that has been received to another place, e.g. The processed food is then sent on to the packing department. |
| |
| |
|send out |
|To emit something, e.g. Stars send out gamma rays, radio waves, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrange for something to go or be taken to another place, e.g. Most of the invitation cards have been sent out. |
| |
| |
|send ... up |
|To cause something to increase in value, .e.g. Allowing greater foreign participation in the property sector has sent property prices up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|733 |
|separate … out |
|To make or become apart or detached. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|734 |
|serve … out |
|To continue with something until it is complete, e.g. He has served out nearly half of his prison sentence. |
| |
| |
| |
|To place food onto plates for handing over to someone such as customers, guests, etc. |
| |
| |
|serve ... up |
|To place food onto plates for people to eat. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|735 |
|set about |
|Start doing something that requires lots of efforts and time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attack someone with fists and legs. |
| |
| |
|set … against |
|To cause someone to fight or quarrel against another. |
| |
| |
| |
|To offset something against, especially amount spent against tax in order to reduce the amount of tax payable. |
| |
| |
|set … apart |
|To distinguish someone or something that are more superior compared to others, e.g. the Nobel Prize awards set the laureates apart from |
|other people. |
| |
| |
|set ... aside |
|To keep something for a special purpose, e.g. a room in a library is set aside for only reading newspapers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To annul a legal decision or order, e.g. A verdict of a lower court was set aside by a judge of a higher court. |
| |
| |
|set ... back |
|To hinder the development of someone or something. |
| |
| |
|set ... down |
|To cost someone a lot of money. |
| |
| |
| |
|To write about something for the record. |
| |
| |
|set forth |
|To stop a vehicle for someone to get out. |
| |
| |
|set ... forth |
|To start a journey, etc. |
| |
| |
|set in |
|To explain or describe something in writing or speech. |
| |
| |
|set off |
|(Something unpleasant) to begin and seem to continue for a long time. |
| |
| |
|set ... off |
|To go or embark on a journey. |
| |
| |
|set on/upon |
|To cause something such as a bomb, alarm, etc, to go off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something such as a piece of clothing, etc. more attractive. |
| |
| |
|set out |
|To attack someone violently. |
| |
| |
|set ... out |
|To start a journey. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin to do or plan a course of action towards achieving a goal. |
| |
| |
|set to |
|To lay something out so that they can be arranged in a particular order. |
| |
| |
|set ... up |
|To start doing something eagerly and seriously. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deliberately make an innocent person appear guilty or have done something wrong. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone feel healthy and energetic. |
| |
| |
| |
|To start a company, organization, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To place or erect something such as a signboard, road block, statue, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|736 |
|settle down |
|To make or become calmer or quieter, e.g. She should settle down as the driving test is not going to cost her life. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go for a more secure lifestyle, especially in having a permanent job and own house, e.g. He hasn’t decided to settle down and raise a |
|family despite having a house and a secure job. |
| |
| |
|settle for |
|To accept or agree to something, usually less than satisfactory to either side, e.g. She had stated a sum for her starting salary, but had |
|to settle for a slightly less amount. |
| |
| |
|settle in/into |
|To adapt to a new surrounding. |
| |
| |
|settle on/upon |
|To decide or agree on something, e.g. They haven’t settled yet on the paint colour for the kitchen wall. |
| |
| |
|settle up |
|To agree on the final settlement on something such as sharing property, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pay for something such as a bill, account, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|737 |
|sew … up |
|To remedy a fault by sewing it, e.g. sewing up a tear in a shirt. |
| |
| |
| |
|To conclude a business transaction in a favourable way. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have gained overall control over something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|738 |
|shack up |
|To move in or start living with someone as a partner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|739 |
|shade into |
|To be unable to distinguish where something ends and another begins. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|740 |
|shake down |
|To adapt to a new place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To extort money from someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sleep on the floor, on a seat, etc. instead of in a proper bed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To search someone or something thoroughly. |
| |
| |
|shake ... off |
|To get rid of something such as an illness, problem, etc. that is bothering one, e.g. unable to shake off this gambling habit. |
| |
| |
| |
|To escape from one’s pursuer. |
| |
| |
|shake on |
|To conclude something such as an agreement, etc. by shaking hands. |
| |
| |
|shake ... out |
|To shake something such as a shirt, cloth, etc. in order to remove any pieces of dirt, dust, etc. from it. |
| |
| |
|shake ... up |
|To make someone feel more enthusiastic, energetic and eager. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make an organization, system, etc. more effective by introducing changes. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|741 |
|shape up |
|To develop or improve one’s behaviour, performance, physical fitness, etc. to the required standard. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|742 |
|sharpen … up |
|To improve something to the required standard, quality, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|743 |
|shave … off |
|To remove hair off part of someone’s body by using a shaver or razor. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reduce by a very slight amount, e.g. to shave half a second off the world record. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|744 |
|shell out |
|To pay a seemingly excessive amount of money for something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|745 |
|shine through |
|(Personal quality or skill) to be plainly obvious. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|746 |
|shoot for/at |
|To try to achieve a particular aim, e.g. to shoot for a five percent growth rate for this year. |
| |
| |
|shoot … down |
|To bring someone, an aircraft, etc. down by shooting. |
| |
| |
|shoot off |
|To have to leave quickly or suddenly, e.g. He has to shoot off after receiving a telephone call. |
| |
| |
|shoot through |
|To depart hurriedly. |
| |
| |
|shoot up |
|To injure or damage someone or something by shooting them with bullets. |
| |
| |
| |
|To increase rapidly in prices, number, etc., e.g. The prices of many food items have shot up; tall buildings are shooting up in many major |
|cities across the world. |
| |
| |
| |
|To inject oneself with a narcotic drug. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|747 |
|shop around |
|To look for the best price for the available quality goods. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|748 |
|shore … up |
|To help or support something that is likely to fail or is not working well. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|749 |
|shout … down |
|To prevent someone from speaking or being heard by shouting. |
| |
| |
|shout out |
|To say something suddenly in a loud voice. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|750 |
|shove off |
|To go away or to tell someone to go away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To push a boat away from the shore. |
| |
| |
|shove up |
|To shift oneself to make space for someone else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|751 |
|show … around |
|To take and guide someone round a place and point out the interesting features, especially when he is new. |
| |
| |
|show off |
|To display one’s abilities, accomplishments, or possessions in a boastful manner, especially to impress people and gain their admiration, |
|e.g. He shows off his new car by sounding the horn unnecessarily. |
| |
| |
|show … off |
|To display something to others because one is very proud of it, e.g. His father bought Jack a large flashy car, and he is |
|busy showing it off by driving all over town. |
| |
| |
|show up |
|To turn up at a place where one is expected to, e.g. He finally showed up at the restaurant where others are waiting for him. |
| |
| |
|show ... up |
|To expose someone as being bad or faulty. |
| |
| |
| |
|To embarrass or humiliate someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|752 |
|shrink from |
|To avoid doing something difficult or unpleasant, e.g. shrink from making tough decisions. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|753 |
|shrug … off |
|To dismiss something as unimportant and without caring about it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|754 |
|shuck off |
|To take off a piece of garment, e.g. He shucks off his jacket and plays a game of snooker. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|755 |
|shudder at |
|To think something is inappropriate or disagreeable, e.g. He shudders at what his parents would say when he tells them he’s dropped out of |
|college. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|756 |
|shut … away |
|To isolate someone or something from being seen. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put oneself in a place in order to be alone, e.g. He shut himself away in his room to continue with his work. |
| |
| |
|shut down |
|To cease or cause to cease business operation |
| |
| |
|shut ... in |
|To keep someone indoors or in a room. |
| |
| |
|shut off |
|To make something such as a machine, etc., stop operating, e.g. Someone accidentally pressed the wrong button on the remote control and shut|
|off the television while everyone was watching it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop or cut off supply, e.g. shutting off a tap, or a strike that closes a coal mine and shuts off coal supplies. |
| |
| |
|shut ... out |
|To deliberately prevent someone from participating in an activity, e.g. he felt he was being shut out when he was not invited to the party. |
| |
| |
| |
|To prevent someone or something from entering a place, e.g. double-glazed windows shut out the cold and noise. |
| |
| |
| |
|To prevent an opposing team from gaining points by scoring. |
| |
| |
|shut up |
|To make someone stop talking, e.g. They tried a few times to shut her up but failed. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tell someone to stop talking, e.g. Wherever she is she tends to dominate the conversation, talking endlessly but no one would dare to |
|tell her to shut up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep someone from other people, e.g. He shut himself up in his room to prevent his cold from spreading to others. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cease business activities for the day or permanently. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|757 |
|shy away from |
|To avoid doing something because of nervousness or lack of confidence, e.g. He shied away from an offer to speak at the club meeting. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|758 |
|sick … up |
|To vomit. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|759 |
|sicken of |
|To lose one’s desire for or interest in something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|760 |
|sieve … out |
|To separate solid from liquid or small objects from large ones by using a sieve. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|761 |
|sift … out |
|To separate something from other things, e.g. It’s not always easy to sift out genuine products from fake ones. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|762 |
|sign away |
|To sign a document giving one’s property or legal right to someone else. |
| |
| |
|sign for |
|To sign a document acknowledging receipt of something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sign as a player, especially for a football team. |
| |
| |
|sign in |
|To write one’s name in a book, sign a book on arrival at, or enter a place such as hotel, office, club, etc. |
| |
| |
|sign off |
|To end a letter, broadcast, etc. by writing one’s name, bidding farewell, etc. |
| |
| |
|sign on |
|To sign a document agreeing to work for an employer. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sign officially that one is unemployed. |
| |
| |
|sign ... on |
|To recruit someone into one’s employment. |
| |
| |
|sign out |
|To write one’s name in or sign a book when leaving a hotel, office, club, etc. |
| |
| |
|sign … over |
|To sign an official document conveying one’s property or rights to someone else. |
| |
| |
|sign up |
|To sign a document committing oneself to something such as a course of study, employment, specific petition, etc. |
| |
| |
|sign with |
|To enter legal agreement to play for a particular sports team. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|763 |
|silt up |
|To become filled with sand, mud, soil or other material. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|764 |
|sing along |
|To join in singing with someone who is already singing. |
| |
| |
|sing out |
|To sing loudly. |
| |
| |
|sing up |
|To request someone to sing more loudly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|765 |
|single … out |
|To choose someone or something from a group of like people or things for favourable or adverse comment, or unfair treatment. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|766 |
|sink in |
|(Information, facts, ideas, words, etc.) to gradually become fully understood, e.g. His remark did not sink in immediately. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|767 |
|sit around/about |
|To sit down idling. |
| |
| |
|sit back |
|To be in a sitting and relaxing position in a comfortable chair. |
| |
| |
|sit down |
|To be in or get into a sitting position, e.g. I’m so busy I haven’t sat down since I got up from bed this morning. |
| |
| |
| |
|To try to resolve a problem, e.g. They mutually agreed to sit down for a drink and sort out their disagreement over a certain matter. |
| |
| |
|sit in |
|To be at but not actively involved in a meeting. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be temporarily doing something on behalf of someone. |
| |
| |
|sit on |
|To engage in a silent demonstration of protest. |
| |
| |
|sit ... out |
|To delay or fail to deal with something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To not participate in an event, activity, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To wait without taking action until an unpleasant or unwelcome situation is over. |
| |
| |
|sit through |
|To stay on until a meeting, talk, speech, performance, etc. ends, even if it is very long and boring. |
| |
| |
|sit up |
|To get into a sitting position from a lying position. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stop oneself from going to bed and stay up very late. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|768 |
|size … up |
|To consider and judge about a person or situation. |
| |
| |
| |
|To estimate or measure something’s dimensions. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|769 |
|skate over/around |
|To avoid addressing an issue or problem, or not according it the attention it deserves. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|770 |
|skin up |
|To make a cannabis cigarette. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|771 |
|skip out/off |
|To leave quickly and secretly in order to evade something such as paying bill, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|A person who defaults or absconds. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|772 |
|slag off |
|To strongly criticize someone, especially behind their back. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|773 |
|slam into |
|To crash hard into something, e.g. The car slammed into a tree. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|774 |
|slap … down |
|To unjustifiably criticize someone. |
| |
| |
|slap … on |
|To apply something hastily or carelessly on something else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|775 |
|slaver over |
|To show excessive admiration for something in a silly way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|776 |
|sleep around |
|To have sex with numerous people. |
| |
| |
|sleep in |
|To wake up much later than usual in the morning. |
| |
| |
|sleep … off |
|To recover from something by sleeping, e.g. to sleep off the effects of drinking too much alcohol. |
| |
| |
|sleep through |
|To sleep continuously without being awakened by anything that happens. |
| |
| |
| |
|To sleep continuously at length. |
| |
| |
|sleep together |
|To have sex. |
| |
| |
|sleep with |
|To have sex with someone, especially someone whom one is not married to. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|777 |
|slice … off |
|To separate something from another by cutting easily with a sharp knife or edge. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|778 |
|slick … down/back |
|To make one’s hair flat, smooth, and glossy by using oil, or cream, etc. |
| |
| |
|slick ... up |
|To make someone or something smart, tidy, or stylish. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|779 |
|slip into |
|To put clothes on quickly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pass gradually to a worse condition, e.g. slip into unconsciousness or a coma. |
| |
| |
|slip ... off |
|To take clothes off quickly. |
| |
| |
|slip ... on |
|To put clothes on quickly. |
| |
| |
|slip out |
|To move away quickly, or secretly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To say something without thinking or real intention to say it. |
| |
| |
|slip out of |
|To accidentally slide or move out of position or from someone’s grasp. |
| |
| |
| |
|To quickly get out of one’s clothes. |
| |
| |
|slip up |
|To make a careless mistake. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|780 |
|slob around |
|To idle and behave in a lazy, relaxed and unconcerned manner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|781 |
|slobber over |
|To show one’s excessive interest in someone in an annoying way. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|782 |
|slop about/around |
|To wander in an aimless or slovenly manner; mess about. |
| |
| |
|slop out |
|(Prisoners) to empty out the contents of their chamber-pots. |
| |
| |
|slop through |
|To wade through a wet or muddy area. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|783 |
|slope off |
|To leave a place quietly, and inconspicuously in order to avoid work or duty. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|784 |
|slot in/into |
|To fit someone or something into something else such as a plan, organization, a new role, situation, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|785 |
|slough … off |
|To get rid of something such as the outer layer of old skin, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To banish one’s feelings, belief, etc., e.g. He was to slough off all feelings of guilt. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|786 |
|slow down |
|To become or make something such as a vehicle, etc. slower, e.g. Many a time his girlfriend asked him to slow down or she would get out of |
|the car. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|787 |
|smack of |
|To have a flavour, smell, or suggestion of something, e.g. a piece of writing that smacks of hypocrisy. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|788 |
|smarten up |
|To make someone or something look neat, tidy and stylish. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|789 |
|smash … down |
|To knock something down violently. |
| |
| |
|smash … in |
|To hit or collide with something violently or forcefully. |
| |
| |
|smash … up |
|To deliberately damage or destroy something, e.g. smash the place up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|790 |
|smell … out |
|To find something by smelling. |
| |
| |
| |
|To detect or suspect by means of instinct or intuition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|791 |
|smoke … out |
|To force someone or something out of a place by filling it with smoke. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|792 |
|smooth … away |
|To dispose of something such as problems, difficulties, etc. |
| |
| |
|smooth … over |
|To make a situation or the effects of something less unpleasant, harmful, or serious. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|793 |
|snap … on/off |
|To turn a light on/off |
| |
| |
|snap out of |
|To get out of a bad or sad state to a better one. |
| |
| |
|snap … up |
|To get or buy something quickly, especially because it is in short supply or very cheap. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|794 |
|snatch at |
|To seize something quickly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|795 |
|sneak in/into |
|To enter a place unnoticed, e.g. The boys managed to sneak past the ticket collector into the circus tent. |
| |
| |
|sneak on |
|To officially inform someone or provide them with information about something or someone else’s misdeeds. |
| |
| |
|sneak out |
|To exit a place unnoticed, e.g. The kids sneaked out of the church by crawling between the empty pews. |
| |
| |
|sneak up |
|To creep stealthily up to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|796 |
|sniff around/round |
|To investigate something in a covert manner. |
| |
| |
|sniff out |
|To find out something by investigation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|797 |
|snuff … out |
|To extinguish or put an abrupt end to something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|798 |
|soak … up |
|To use something such as a sponge, cloth, towel, etc. to absorb a liquid. |
| |
| |
| |
|To learn something quickly and easily. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|799 |
|sober … up |
|To become or make someone become less drunk. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|800 |
|sock in |
|To be engulfed by adverse weather conditions, reducing visibility. |
| |
|hrasal Verbs 801-900 |
|801 |
|soften … up |
|To become or make someone soft or softer. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone less powerful or effective, especially in a gradual or insidious way so that they will be vulnerable or more vulnerable. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|802 |
|sop … up |
|To soak up liquid by using something such as a cloth, sponge, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|803 |
|sort … out |
|To deal with someone who causes difficulty or annoyance, e.g. We sorted out a misunderstanding over the terms of an agreement by discussing |
|in great detail. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deal with something such as a problem, difficulty, etc., e.g. The staff stayed on late to sort the pile of printed documents out into |
|individual reports. |
| |
| |
|sort through |
|To classify or categorize or arrange things into an order. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|804 |
|sound off |
|To express one’s opinions in a loud or forceful way. |
| |
| |
|sound … out |
|To seek the opinions of others before undertaking something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|805 |
|soup … up |
|To improve something by making it more interesting or impressive. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|806 |
|space … out |
|To feel disorientated or confused, e.g. He doesn’t seem to concentrate on what he is saying; he’s spaced out because it doesn’t make sense. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|807 |
|speak for |
|To express one’s opinions, thoughts, feelings, position, beliefs, etc. |
| |
| |
|speak of |
|To be a clear indication of the existence of an incident or event, e.g. the large presence of policemen spoke of trouble. |
| |
| |
|speak out |
|To publicly protest by expressing one’s opinions frankly, especially when this could be a risk to oneself. |
| |
| |
|speak to |
|To talk to someone in order to advise, inform about something, etc. |
| |
| |
|speak up |
|To express one’s views publicly or speak in favour of someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ask someone to speak loudly or more loudly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|808 |
|speed by |
|To pass very quickly, e.g. The months and years speed by and soon we are not young any more. |
| |
| |
|speed up |
|To move or work, or make something move or work faster, e.g. They have to speed up to meet the deadline. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|809 |
|spell … out |
|To say or write the letters that made up a word. |
| |
| |
| |
|To explain something clearly and in detail. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|810 |
|spill over |
|(Conflict, etc.) to spread and affect other places or people. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|811 |
|spin … off |
|(A parent company) to turn a subsidiary into a new and separate company. |
| |
| |
|spin out |
|(Vehicles) to be out of control, e.g. fast-moving car spins out of control on the wet road. |
| |
| |
|spin ... out |
|To make something such as money, food, etc. last as long as one possibly can, especially because one has limited amount of it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|812 |
|splash down |
|(Spacecraft) to return to Earth by landing in the sea. |
| |
| |
|splash out on |
|To spend vast sum of money on something, e.g. They splash out on more decoration of their house. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|813 |
|split off |
|To separate or break away from someone or something. |
| |
| |
|split on |
|To commit betrayal by informing on someone. |
| |
| |
|split up |
|To end a marriage or a relationship. |
| |
| |
| |
|To divide into groups, parts, sections, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|814 |
|spread out |
|(People) to move apart from each other so as to occupy a bigger area. |
| |
| |
| |
|To open out something on a flat surface such as a table. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|815 |
|spring from |
|To originate or come from somewhere. |
| |
| |
|spring … on |
|To present or give something such as information, etc. to someone suddenly or unexpectedly that causes surprise or shock. |
| |
| |
|spring up |
|To suddenly appear or start to exist. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|816 |
|spruce up |
|To make someone or something neater, tidier or smarter. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|817 |
|spy … out |
|To seek out secret information on someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|818 |
|square … away |
|To finish something in a satisfactory way. |
| |
| |
|square off |
|To assume an aggressive attitude. |
| |
| |
|square … off |
|To calm or pacify someone. |
| |
| |
|square up to |
|To face and deal with a difficult situation or person. |
| |
| |
|square with |
|To reconcile two ideas, situations, facts, etc. to show that they can exist together. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|819 |
|stack up |
|To measure up or compare. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|820 |
|stake … out |
|To keep someone or some place under close observation, especially because of suspected criminal activities. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|821 |
|stamp … out |
|To forcibly put an end to something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|822 |
|stand against |
|To contest against another candidate in an election. |
| |
| |
|stand alone |
|To be unequalled. |
| |
| |
|stand around |
|To stand somewhere and not do anything, e.g. He grumbles that the supervisor has nothing to do but stands around watching him every minute. |
| |
| |
|stand by |
|To look on without getting involved. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stay loyal and support someone, e.g. will always stand by him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To maintain the validity of one’s words or action, e.g. He stands by what he said earlier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be ready to do what is required, e.g. A lifeguard always stands by at the swimming pool. |
| |
| |
|stand down |
|To leave one’s position or office. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave the witness box in court after giving evidence. |
| |
| |
|stand for |
|To represent something in the form of abbreviation, symbol, etc., e.g. I think most people know what UN stands for. |
| |
| |
| |
|To not tolerate or endure something, e.g. More and more people the world over will not stand for racism. |
| |
| |
| |
|To support a particular set of ideas, values, or principles, e.g. Voters should demand that candidates state what they stand for so that |
|they (voters) know what they are voting for. |
| |
| |
|stand in |
|To temporarily take over the work of someone who is away. |
| |
| |
|stand off |
|To move or keep away. |
| |
| |
|stand out |
|To be conspicuous or clearly noticeable. |
| |
| |
|stand out against |
|To be clearly better than someone else. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be strongly opposed to an idea, plan, etc. |
| |
| |
|stand over |
|To watch someone closely to ensure they work properly. |
| |
| |
|stand to |
|To move to a position, ready for action. |
| |
| |
|stand up |
|To be in a standing position, e.g. As soon as she finished singing, everyone stood up to give her a standing ovation. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be able to withstand close scrutiny, test, etc. |
| |
| |
|stand ... up |
|To fail to keep an appointment, etc., e.g. I was supposed to go fishing with Jack today, but he stood me up |
| |
| |
|stand up for |
|To speak or act in support or defence of someone or something. |
| |
| |
|stand up to |
|To defend oneself against or refuse to be unfairly treated by someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|823 |
|stare … out/down |
|To look at someone at length until they feel forced to look elsewhere. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|824 |
|start in |
|To begin doing something. |
| |
| |
|start in on |
|To begin to do or deal with something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attack someone or something verbally. |
| |
| |
|start off |
|To begin in a certain way, e.g. The event started off in fine weather but midway through it began to rain. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin a journey, e.g. We will start off as soon as they arrive. |
| |
| |
|start on |
|To begin doing some of the things, e.g. We will start on the mowing first before we proceed to the planting. |
| |
| |
|start on at |
|To start to talk by criticizing someone and their behaviour, e.g. She started on at him for always returning home late from work. |
| |
| |
|start out/up |
|To begin a business enterprise or undertaking. |
| |
| |
|start over |
|To restart doing something in order to do it better. |
| |
| |
|start up |
|To begin operation, e.g. I usually start up the car’s engine to warm it up before driving it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To begin something, e.g. He started up a restaurant in the neighbourhood, but closed down after six months. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|825 |
|starve … into |
|To force someone to do something by denying them food. |
| |
| |
|starve … out |
|To force someone out of a place by denying them food. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|826 |
|stave in |
|To break something inwards or be broken inwards by something. |
| |
| |
|stave ... off |
|To avert something bad or dangerous happening to one. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|827 |
|stay off |
|To keep away from, e.g. Visitors to the temple were advised to stay off the grass whenever or wherever they walk. |
| |
| |
|stay on |
|To continue doing something such as working, studying, etc. after the usual time or the others have left, e.g. He decides to stay on in the |
|library while the others leave for home. |
| |
| |
|stay out |
|To decide to return home late, e.g. On weekend, Jack stays out late boozing with his mates. |
| |
| |
| |
|To not get involved in a situation, especially a bad one, e.g. The neighbour’s wife and mine have been quarrelling for the past days, I |
|choose to stay out of it. |
| |
| |
|stay up |
|To go to bed later than normal, e.g. He is a night owl who enjoys staying up late. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|828 |
|steam … open/off |
|To make use of steam to do something such as opening and removing a stamp from an envelope, etc. |
| |
| |
|steam up |
|To cover or become covered with steam. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be or become extremely agitated or angry. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|829 |
|stem from |
|To originate in or be caused by something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|830 |
|step down |
|To resign from one’s official position. |
| |
| |
|step forward |
|To volunteer one’s services. |
| |
| |
|step in |
|To get involved in a difficult situation in order to help. |
| |
| |
| |
|To act or serve in place of someone. |
| |
| |
|step on |
|To place one’s foot on something, e.g. My big fat auntie accidentally stepped on my toe; it’s terribly painful that tears roll down my |
|cheeks. |
| |
| |
|step out |
|To go out of a room or building, etc., usually for a short time, e.g. He steps out for a smoke. |
| |
| |
|step ... up |
|To increase something such as amount, speed, etc. of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|831 |
|stick around |
|To stay for a while longer, e.g. We were asked to stick around for a while so as to have a drink together, but we’ve already waited for half|
|an hour. |
| |
| |
|stick at |
|To continue to do what one is doing with the same determination. |
| |
| |
|stick by |
|To continue to support someone. |
| |
| |
|stick ... on |
|To blame someone for a mistake or wrongdoing. |
| |
| |
|stick out |
|To be particularly noticeable, e.g. His two oversized ears stick out more than usual. |
| |
| |
| |
|To extend from a surface, e.g. Be careful when you handle that plant, it has sharp thorns sticking out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To extend a part of one outward, e.g. This dog certainly looks rather tired, with its tongue sticking out dripping with saliva and body |
|shaking. |
| |
| |
| |
|To tolerate an unpleasant or difficult situation, e.g. I found the roller coaster ride more scary than exciting, but I stuck it out. |
| |
| |
|stick out for |
|To refuse to accept less than what one wants |
| |
| |
|stick to |
|To continue to do what one thinks or believes is proper, e.g. He always considers very carefully before making a decision, and once a |
|decision is made he sticks to it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To talk or write relevantly, e.g. A speaker or writer should stick to the subject in question, and not wander off to something else. |
| |
| |
|stick together |
|To cooperate or remain united for mutual benefit. |
| |
| |
|stick ... .up |
|To rob someone at gunpoint, e.g. No one was aware that a couple of men were sticking up a store until police arrived. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put up something such as a sign, notice, etc., e.g. Someone stuck a picture of Popeye up on the public toilet wall. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something) to point out from a surface. |
| |
| |
|stick up for |
|To defend oneself or someone else when others will not. |
| |
| |
|stick with |
|To stay close to someone physically or romantically. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something as planned despite the difficulty. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Something) to remain in one’s memory, e.g. The nightmare I had has stuck with me since. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|832 |
|sting … for |
|To overcharge someone for something, e.g. The mechanic stung him for a big amount for a minor repair to his car. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|833 |
|stink … out |
|To fill a place with a particularly unpleasant smell, e.g. The new coat of paint is stinking out the whole office. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|834 |
|stir … up |
|To deliberately cause conflict between people by spreading rumours or gossip, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause something to rise, e.g. The strong wind stirs up a lot of dust. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|835 |
|stitch up |
|To apply stitches to cloth or wound in order to fasten or cure. |
| |
| |
| |
|To satisfactorily finalize a deal or agreement. |
| |
| |
|stitch ... up |
|To handle a situation in such a way as to disadvantage someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|836 |
|stock up |
|To accumulate a supply of something, e.g. They stock up on whisky for the forthcoming celebration. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|837 |
|stoke up |
|To add coal or wood to a fire. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stir up strong emotions among people |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat a large amount of food to get the energy required for sustained activity. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stock something such as clothing, etc. for one’s needs. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|838 |
|stoop to |
|To lower one’s dignity so far as to commit a morally wrongful act. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|839 |
|stop back |
|To return to a place one has previously been. |
| |
| |
|stop by |
|To visit a place or person briefly when on one’s way to somewhere else. |
| |
| |
|stop … down |
|To reduce the lens aperture in a camera to allow less light in when one is photographing. |
| |
| |
|stop in |
|To visit a place or person briefly when on one’s way to somewhere else. |
| |
| |
|stop off |
|To make a brief visit to a place, especially to rest or visit someone, en route to one’s destination, e.g. We stopped off at our parents’ |
|house for a day on our way to the island. |
| |
| |
|stop out |
|To stay out later than usual. |
| |
| |
|stop over |
|To make a short stay somewhere before resuming one’s journey, e.g. We stopped over at our grandparents’ house for a drink on our way home. |
| |
| |
|stop up |
|To stay up late. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|840 |
|stow away |
|To hide oneself on a ship, aircraft, etc. in order to travel secretly or without paying. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|841 |
|straighten … out |
|To make something straight, e.g. The workers are working to straighten out the winding road. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deal with the causes of a difficult problem with a view to resolving it, e.g. They meet for discussion to straighten out the remaining |
|issues. |
| |
| |
| |
|To help someone overcome their bad behaviour or personal problems, e.g. We don’t condemn the kids’ behaviour or punish them, instead we try |
|to understand them and help them to straighten out. |
| |
| |
|straighten up |
|To decide to change one’s way of behaving and become a better person. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|842 |
|stretch out |
|To lie down in order to rest or sleep. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|843 |
|strike back |
|To retaliate. |
| |
| |
|strike … down |
|To cause someone to fall by hitting them very hard. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Disease) to make someone die or seriously ill. |
| |
| |
|strike off |
|To stop doctors, lawyers, etc. from practising their profession by removing their names from the official list of those who are allowed to |
|practise. |
| |
| |
|strike on/upon |
|To discover something such as a good idea, etc. |
| |
| |
|strike out |
|To remove an item from a list by drawing a line through it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do something new on one’s own such as living alone, starting a business, etc. |
| |
| |
|strike up |
|To begin to play a piece of music. |
| |
| |
| |
|To start a friendship or conversation with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|844 |
|string along |
|To deceive someone over a length of time. |
| |
| |
|string … out |
|To prolong something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be anxious or tense over something. |
| |
| |
|string together |
|To be joined or spread in a straight line, e.g. pearls, islands. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be able to put two things such as words, sentences, etc. together to make sense to other people, e.g. Can a drunk string two words |
|together to make sense? |
| |
| |
|string ... up |
|To put someone to death by hanging, e.g. He was finally strung up for the multiple murders he committed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|845 |
|strip away |
|To gradually get rid of something such as habits, customs, etc. |
| |
| |
|strip ... of |
|To deprive someone of something such as rank, power, property, citizenship, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|846 |
|struggle on |
|To continue obstinately a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|847 |
|stub … out |
|To snuff out a cigarette butt by pressing the lighted end against something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|848 |
|stumble on/across |
|To find something or meet someone by chance and unexpectedly. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|849 |
|stump up |
|To pay a sum of money. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|850 |
|subject … to |
|To cause or force someone to undergo something unpleasant or difficult. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|851 |
|subscribe for |
|To accept to hold shares in a company. |
| |
| |
|subscribe to |
|To agree to receive something, especially a periodical, regularly by paying in advance. |
| |
| |
| |
|To believe and support an idea, view, belief, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|852 |
|suck up |
|To be completely obedient and attentive to the comfort or wishes of others in order to gain a personal advantage. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|853 |
|sucker … into |
|To fool or trick someone into doing something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|854 |
|suffer from |
|To be affected by an illness, especially one that lasts a long time. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have a problem that hinders success. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|855 |
|suit … to |
|To make something appropriate for someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|856 |
|sum up |
|To summarize something briefly such as a report, speech, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|857 |
|suss … out |
|To understand or realize the true character or nature of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|858 |
|swallow … up |
|To take in and cause to disappear, e.g. rise in earning being swallowed up by increases in food and other prices. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|859 |
|swarm with |
|To be crowded or overrun with people, animals, etc., e.g. the beach is swarmed with people. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|860 |
|swear by |
|To have great confidence in something, e.g. He swears by the quality of the new model of a product. |
| |
| |
|swear … in |
|To admit someone to a position or office by having them take an oath, e.g. the person elected as president having to take the presidential |
|oath on assuming office. |
| |
| |
|swear off |
|To promise to refrain or abstain from doing something. |
| |
| |
|swear to |
|To make a formal declaration that something is true. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|861 |
|sweat out |
|To continue doing something difficult until completion. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do strenuous physical exercise. |
| |
| |
|sweat off |
|To get rid of something such as bodily fat, illness, etc. by sweating through doing something such as aerobic exercises, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|862 |
|sweep … aside |
|To remove someone or something quickly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ignore what someone says. |
| |
| |
|sweep … away |
|To cause the death of someone and/or completely destroy something, e.g. floods sweep people and houses away. |
| |
| |
|sweep up |
|To clean a place by using a brush, broom, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|863 |
|swing around/round |
|To turn or make something turn around quickly. |
| |
| |
|swing by |
|To make a short visit to a place or someone for a particular purpose. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|864 |
|switch off |
|To use a switch to turn off something such as television, etc., e.g. It often happens here that no one switches off the television when no |
|one is watching it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cease paying attention or listening to someone. |
| |
| |
|switch on |
|To turn on something such as electric light, television, machine, etc. by using a switch. |
| |
| |
|switch over |
|To change from something such as a system, dress, television station, etc. to another. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|865 |
|swot up |
|To study intensively and with perseverance, e.g. Students just have to swot up in order to pass their examinations. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|866 |
|tack … on |
|To add something to something else later when needed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|867 |
|tag along |
|To accompany someone uninvited. |
| |
| |
|tag … on |
|To add something thought of later to something else. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|868 |
|tail away |
|To gradually become less and less in amount, intensity, etc. |
| |
| |
|tail back |
|(Traffic) to become more and more congested until it forms a long queue that is very slow in moving or not moving at all. |
| |
| |
|tail off |
|To become less, smaller, weaker, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|869 |
|take aback |
|To be very surprised about something, e.g. She was really taken aback by what he had just said. |
| |
| |
|take after |
|To bear a close resemblance to an older relative such as a parent, etc. |
| |
| |
|take against |
|To begin to develop a feeling of dislike of someone. |
| |
| |
|take ... apart |
|To dismantle something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To easily defeat an opponent in something, such as a game, sport, etc. |
| |
| |
|take away from |
|To reduce the worth or belittle the quality of something. |
| |
| |
|take back |
|To withdraw what one has said or written, e.g. If it is not true, I’m sorry and I take back what I’ve said. |
| |
| |
| |
|To return something that is unsatisfactory back to a shop for exchange or refund, e g. The sales assistant said I could take it back within |
|a week if there is any problem with it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring back what one owns, e.g. Visitors are advised to take back their umbrellas when they leave the premises. |
| |
| |
|take ... down |
|To jot or write down something spoken. |
| |
| |
|take in |
|To include something, e.g. The bill has not yet taken in the additional charges of transporting it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be cheated or deceived by someone, e.g. Many were taken in by the vendor’s claim that the craft products were handmade. |
| |
| |
|take ... in |
|To let someone stay in one’s house, e.g. Our cousin has no place to stay, so we take him in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To understand and retain something such as facts, ideas, etc. |
| |
| |
|take off |
|(Aircraft, etc.) To leave the ground for the air. |
| |
| |
| |
|(Business) to become more and more successful. |
| |
| |
|take ... off |
|To remove a piece of or all of one’s clothing. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make a deduction of an amount. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be absent from work, e.g. I’ll take the whole of next week off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave hastily without informing anyone. |
| |
| |
|take on |
|To assume a quality or appearance without any specific reason, e.g. to take on a very upset, worried, etc. look. |
| |
| |
|take ... on |
|To engage new workers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be ready or willing to meet an opponent in a contest, competition, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To undertake a task or responsibility. |
| |
| |
|take ... out |
|To remove something from a container, etc., e.g. He took out a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to the cashier. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring someone with one to some place such as a restaurant, beach, cinema, etc. Every weekend my dad takes me out to the park or some |
|other place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To vent one’s feelings on others, e.g. He takes it out on his children wherever he gets angry. |
| |
| |
| |
|To kill someone, or destroy something, e.g. The police sharpshooter took out the hostage-taker with a single shot. |
| |
| |
| |
|To get an official service, e.g. taking out an insurance policy. |
| |
| |
|take over |
|To take responsibility for something, usually from someone, e.g. Jack takes over the running of the company while his father is away. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring something from one place to another, e.g. I help my colleague take some office files over to his house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To gain control of a place, country, town, etc., e.g. The invading army took over the city after the defending troops abandoned it. |
| |
| |
|take to |
|To begin to develop a liking for someone, e.g. He began to take to her after working for six months together. |
| |
| |
| |
|To acquire a habit, e.g. He took to drink after his wife left him. |
| |
| |
|take up |
|To start a new job or have a new responsibility, e.g. He took up the supervisory post when the former supervisor left. |
| |
| |
| |
|To accept a challenge from someone, e.g. He took up the challenge of not smoking for a whole week. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do selected subjects in school, e.g. She took up history as it is one of her favourite subjects. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fight using weapons, e.g. Many villagers took up arms and join the rebel group. |
| |
| |
| |
|To pursue a course of action, e.g. They are taking up this matter with the local authority. |
| |
| |
| |
|To occupy one’s time, attention, etc., e.g. Building the kennel may take up two weekends. |
| |
| |
|take up on |
|To accept an offer, e.g. Jack was disappointed that Jill refused to take him up on his offer of a dinner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|870 |
|talk around |
|To convince someone to change their opinion and accept a specific point of view. |
| |
| |
|talk back |
|To reply defiantly, rudely or disrespectfully. |
| |
| |
|talk ... down |
|To belittle or dismiss the good quality or worth of something, e.g. The opposition leader was booed in parliament when he talked down the |
|government’s economic management of the country. |
| |
| |
|talk down to |
|To speak condescendingly to someone, e.g. His habit of talking down to others has alienated them. |
| |
| |
|talk ... into |
|To persuade someone to do or not to do something, e.g. If you had not talked me into smoking, I wouldn’t be such a heavy smoker today. |
| |
| |
|talk ... out |
|To discuss an issue or problem and how to tackle it. |
| |
| |
|talk … out of |
|To persuade someone not to do certain things, e.g. They talked her out of taking her own life. |
| |
| |
|talk ... over |
|To have a thorough discussion about something before adopting a decision, e.g. They talk it over many times before deciding to migrate. |
| |
| |
|talk ... through |
|To discuss something completely with regard to every detail in order to gain a better or complete comprehension of it. |
| |
| |
|talk to |
|To converse with someone, e.g. He loves talking to people and can talk at length on any subject. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|871 |
|tamper with |
|To interfere with something without authority in order to cause damage to it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|872 |
|tangle with |
|To get involved in an argument or fight with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|873 |
|tank up |
|To fill the tank of a vehicle with fuel. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|874 |
|tap … in |
|To press buttons or keys on telephone, computer, etc, to begin operating it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|875 |
|taper off |
|To gradually become less, smaller or fewer in size, amount, intensity, or degree. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|876 |
|tart … up |
|To improve something but only on the surface of it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make oneself look attractive by wearing makeup, jewellery, or through better dressing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|877 |
|tax … with |
|To blame someone for or accuse them of a fault or wrongdoing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|878 |
|team up |
|To work jointly with someone on an activity or project. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|879 |
|tear … apart |
|To be violently broken into pieces, e.g. vultures tearing a carcass apart. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause serious conflict between people within a family, group, organization, etc., e.g. Dispute over family property is tearing the |
|siblings apart. |
| |
| |
|tear at |
|To pull violently at someone or something. |
| |
| |
|tear away |
|To leave suddenly, quickly and in an uncontrolled manner, e.g. The car tore away noisily attracting much attention. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave a person or place despite a strong feeling of wanting to stay. |
| |
| |
|tear ... down |
|To pull or knock down something, e.g. Some of the buildings will be torn down as the area is earmarked for redevelopment. |
| |
| |
|tear into |
|To launch a strong verbal attack against someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To attack someone or something fiercely, e.g. two wolves tearing into each other. |
| |
| |
|tear off |
|To leave suddenly and quickly, e.g. He tore off when he realized he was almost late for a meeting. |
| |
| |
|tear ... up |
|To pull or rip apart or to pieces, e.g. He angrily tore up the letter from a company’s lawyer demanding payment from him. |
| |
| |
| |
|To damage something, e.g. They tore up the seats in the stadium when their team lost the match. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|880 |
|tease … out |
|To extract, obtain or ascertain information from a large amount of material by painstaking effort. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|881 |
|tee off |
|To hit the ball off the tee to begin a game of golf. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|882 |
|teem with |
|To be full of or swarming with people, fish, animals, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|883 |
|tell against |
|To make one unsuccessful in one’s endeavour to achieve, e.g. He wants to be a basketball player but his height tells against him. |
| |
| |
|tell ... apart |
|To be able to identify someone or something separately despite their close similarity or resemblance, e.g. The only way to tell twins apart |
|is to call their names, which are the only thing that makes identical twins different. |
| |
| |
|tell of |
|To give a detailed account of someone or something, e.g. The novel tells of a mother’s heroic efforts to save her family. |
| |
| |
|tell ... off |
|To express one’s strong disapproval to someone of what they have or have not done. |
| |
| |
|tell on |
|To inform someone in authority of someone else’s wrongdoing, e.g. He smoked in the school toilet which is forbidden, and he is furious that |
|someone has told on him. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|884 |
|thin out |
|To make or become less thick, e.g. As soon as the warehouse fire was put out, the crowd of onlookers began to thin out. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|885 |
|think about |
|To consider the possibility or advantages of something, e.g. I have been thinking about migrating for the past ten years, and I’m still |
|thinking. |
| |
| |
|think ahead |
|To plan for one’s future, e.g. When I think ahead I decide not to get married. |
| |
| |
|think back |
|To think of past events, e.g. She couldn’t help thinking back to the day she almost lost her life in a road accident. |
| |
| |
|think of |
|To have an opinion of something, e.g. Many of them think highly of the new President. |
| |
| |
| |
|To remember things, e.g. Some of them can’t think of the name of the country’s first President. |
| |
| |
| |
|To have fond memory of someone, e.g. He often thinks of her whenever they are not together. |
| |
| |
|think ... out |
|To think of all the relevant things before making a decision. |
| |
| |
|think ... over |
|To consider carefully all factors before committing oneself, e.g. He prefers to think it over before he decides to join them in that |
|commercial venture. |
| |
| |
|think ... through |
|To consider carefully the possible consequences of getting involved in an activity. |
| |
| |
|think … up |
|To think of new ideas, plans, etc., e.g. He has to think up a way to be a famous magician in order to fulfil his ambition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|886 |
|thrash out |
|To discuss something thoroughly in order to reach a decision. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|887 |
|throttle back |
|To control the flow of fuel or power to an engine. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|888 |
|throw … away |
|To dispose of unwanted or useless things, e.g. Please threw away the old newspapers including today’s which I haven’t read. |
| |
| |
| |
|To waste or fail to seize an opportunity or advantage, e.g. I threw away an opportunity to befriend her and know her better when I was too |
|shy to approach her at the party. |
| |
| |
|throw ... in |
|To include something extra, such as free gifts, with things which are being sold without an increase in their prices. |
| |
| |
| |
|To inject a remark in a conversation without forethought. |
| |
| |
| |
|To start to do something with enthusiasm. |
| |
| |
|throw ... off |
|To escape from someone or something that is pursuing one. |
| |
| |
|throw ... open |
|To allow people access to a place that is usually not open to them. |
| |
| |
|throw ... out |
|To expel someone from a place such as a school, organization, etc., e.g. A member of the club was thrown out for misbehaviour. |
| |
| |
| |
|To dispose of unwanted things, e.g. The old newspapers and magazines are piling up and nobody cares to throw them out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To terminate a romantic relationship with someone. |
| |
| |
|throw ... over |
|To make something quickly without any planning. |
| |
| |
|throw ... together |
|To cause people to meet and know each other. |
| |
| |
|throw up |
|To vomit, e.g. Whenever she is in a moving bus, she feels like she’s going to throw up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give up something such as home, job, etc. completely, e.g. He threw up everything and sought employment overseas. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|889 |
|thrust … aside |
|To refuse to consider about something, e.g. Our petition was thrust aside and we have never heard from the authority since. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|890 |
|thumb through |
|To look through something such as a book, magazine, etc. quickly, e.g. thumbing through a photo album. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|891 |
|tick away/by |
|(Time) to pass away. |
| |
| |
|tick … off |
|To express one’s disapproval to someone, e.g. They were ticked off for misbehaviour. |
| |
| |
| |
|To mark the items on a list to indicate that they have been dealt with. |
| |
| |
|tick over |
|(Engine of vehicle) to run slowly without moving the vehicle. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|892 |
|tide over |
|To help someone through a difficult period, especially with financial assistance. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|893 |
|tidy … away |
|To maintain tidiness by not allowing things to lie around but returning them to the places where they are kept. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|894 |
|tie … down |
|To restrict someone or something, e.g. Now tied down with a wife and kids, he finds it hard to socialize. |
| |
| |
|tie in |
|To be or cause to be in harmony with something. |
| |
| |
|tie up |
|To restrict someone’s movement by binding their arms and legs. |
| |
| |
| |
|To keep someone so busy that they are unavailable to do something else, e.g. He is going to be tied up the whole of next week because of the|
|new project. |
| |
| |
| |
|To invest in something so that the money is not immediately available for use, e.g. All his money is tied up in shares. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|895 |
|tilt at |
|To attack someone by what one says or writes. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|896 |
|tip off |
|To inform, especially the police, by passing them a piece of information about illegal activities. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|897 |
|tire … out |
|To make someone very tired. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|898 |
|tog … up/out |
|To put on clothes for a particular occasion or activity. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|899 |
|tone … down |
|To reduce the effect of a speech or piece of writing. |
| |
| |
|tone … up |
|To give greater strength or firmness to the body or a muscle. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|900 |
|tool up |
|To be or become armed. |
| |
|10. Phrasal Verbs 901-974 |
|901 |
|top … off |
|To complete something with one last act, e.g. They decide to top off the day’s session with a meal at a restaurant. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fill up a partly full tank with fuel. |
| |
| |
|top out |
|To reach an upper limit, e.g. No one knows if oil price has topped out. |
| |
| |
|top ... up |
|To add more drink to one’s glass or mug. |
| |
| |
| |
|To add to an amount, etc. to bring it up to a required level. |
| |
| |
| |
|To fill up a partly full container. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|902 |
|toss off |
|To produce something quickly and effortlessly, e.g. He can toss off a simple meal within minutes. |
| |
| |
|toss … off |
|To drink something rapidly or all at once. |
| |
| |
| |
|To masturbate. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|903 |
|tot … up |
|To total up amounts, numbers, etc, e.g. She totted up the bill with the use of a calculator. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|904 |
|total … up |
|To find the total of something such as amounts, numbers, etc. by adding, e.g. He totalled up the bill without using a calculator. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|905 |
|touch at |
|(Ship) to call briefly at a port. |
| |
| |
|touch down |
|(Aircraft, etc.) to land on the ground. |
| |
| |
|touch … for |
|To ask someone to lend or give one something, especially money. |
| |
| |
|touch ... off |
|To cause something to happen suddenly, e.g. A cut in personal income tax touched off rumours of an impending general election. |
| |
| |
|touch on/upon |
|To mention or refer briefly to a subject when talking, writing, etc. |
| |
| |
|touch ... up |
|To improve something by doing something to it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To stroke someone gently without their consent for sexual pleasure. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|906 |
|toy with |
|To think of something for a short while and not seriously, e.g. He has been toying with the idea of working overseas. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|907 |
|track … down |
|To find someone or something that one has been searching very hard for, e.g. The police finally managed to track down the vandal. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|908 |
|trade … in |
|To use a used article, especially a car, as part payment for another, e.g. He traded his car in for a newer one. |
| |
| |
|trade ... off |
|To counterbalance an action against another in order to produce a satisfactory result, e.g. They have to trade off the cost of new machinery|
|to step up production against the possibility of production not being able to meet the demand. |
| |
| |
|trade on/upon |
|To take advantage of someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|909 |
|traffic in |
|To deal in illegal goods, especially drugs. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|910 |
|treat of |
|(Book, article, etc.) to be about a particular subject. |
| |
| |
|treat with |
|To negotiate an official agreement with someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|911 |
|trespass on |
|To take advantage of someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|912 |
|trick … into |
|To deceive someone into doing something, e.g. I was tricked into parting with one hundred pounds by a so-called friend. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|913 |
|trim off |
|To cut small irregular or unwanted parts or edges off something to make it neater. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|914 |
|trip up |
|To make or cause one to make a mistake, e.g. The questions are designed to trip you up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cause someone to fall by blocking his foot with yours while he is walking. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|915 |
|trot … out |
|To use same excuses, reasons, etc. repeatedly, e.g. He trots out the same excuses whenever he is late. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|916 |
|truckle to |
|To be or behave excessively obedient to someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|917 |
|trump … up |
|To falsely accuse someone of something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|918 |
|trust in |
|To have faith in someone or something. |
| |
| |
|trust to |
|To commit someone or something to the protective care or guardianship of someone or something else. |
| |
| |
|trust … with |
|To have faith in someone to do something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|919 |
|try for |
|To attempt to achieve or get what one desires. |
| |
| |
|try … on |
|To put on something to see if it fits or suits one, e.g. Have you counted how many dresses she has tried on? So many and yet she hasn’t |
|decided on any. |
| |
| |
|try ... out |
|To test the suitability or effectiveness of something or someone by using or testing them, e.g. He tried out the new car to experience its |
|performance before deciding whether or not to buy it. / They tried him out to see if he could do the job. |
| |
| |
|try out for |
|To put oneself forward for selection for a particular role. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|920 |
|tuck … away |
|To put someone or something in a quiet, concealed or secure place. |
| |
| |
| |
|To eat a lot quickly and in an enjoyable way. |
| |
| |
|tuck in |
|To eat in an enjoyable manner. |
| |
| |
| |
|To conceal the edge of a piece of clothing in something, e.g. tuck in one’s shirt. |
| |
| |
|tuck into |
|To eat something eagerly. |
| |
| |
|tuck ... up |
|To arrange bedclothes around someone, especially a child, in bed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|921 |
|tucker out |
|To become or make someone very tired. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|922 |
|tune in |
|To watch or listen to a television or radio broadcast. |
| |
| |
|tune out |
|To ignore or stop listening or paying attention to someone or something. |
| |
| |
|tune … up |
|To bring something to the most efficient condition. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|923 |
|turf … out |
|To get rid of someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|924 |
|turn against |
|To oppose someone or disagree with something. |
| |
| |
|turn … against |
|To incite someone to oppose someone else or to disagree with something. |
| |
| |
|turn around |
|To revive something, especially a company, e.g. The new manager was able to turn the company around in less than two years. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make to face opposite direction, e.g. I thought someone was following me, and I turned around to see who it was. |
| |
| |
|turn away |
|To refuse someone entry to a place such as a stadium, etc. because it is full. |
| |
| |
|turn back |
|To return, e.g. We had to turn back halfway through the journey because of extreme heavy rain and flooding. |
| |
| |
|turn down |
|To reduce the level of what something is producing or doing, e.g. Every day he has to be told to turn the television down. |
| |
| |
| |
|To reject someone’s proposal, suggestion, offer, etc., e.g. She has turned down his marriage proposal for the tenth time. |
| |
| |
|turn in |
|To go to bed, e.g. We have to turn in now in order to wake up early. |
| |
| |
| |
|To inform the police the whereabouts of a criminal, e.g. His guilty conscience has certainly played the chief part in making the |
|murderer turn himself in. |
| |
| |
| |
|To return something, stolen or missing, etc., to the police or its owner. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give something, especially a completed piece of work, to someone who requested it, e.g. At the end of an examination, we have to turn |
|in our exam papers to the person in charge. |
| |
| |
|turn into |
|To change someone into someone else, e.g. The parents tried unsuccessfully to turn their son into a teacher like them as the son believed he|
|was not made for it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change something into something else, e.g. The freezer has turned water into ice. |
| |
| |
|turn off |
|To do something repulsive or boring, e.g. His frequent picking of the nose turn his friends off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To end the supply or operation of something such as water, television, etc. by turning the tap, switch, etc., e.g. The tap is dripping, can |
|you turn it off tight? |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave one road and drive into another, e.g. We have to turn off at the next exit to reach our destination. |
| |
| |
|turn on |
|To start the supply or operation of something such as water, television, etc. by turning the tap, switch, etc., e.g. Someone turned the |
|television on and nobody is watching it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To suddenly attack or vent one’s anger on someone, e.g. I’m not responsible for the rumour about her, so why is she turning on me? |
| |
| |
| |
|To excite or stimulate someone, especially sexually, e.g. Some guys are easily turned on by a woman who is busty. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make someone interested in something, e.g. He was the one who turned me on to that excellent documentary. |
| |
| |
|turn out |
|To produce an unexpected result, e.g. It turned out that he was my classmate at college. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go somewhere to do something, e.g. Many turn out to cast their votes because of the fine weather. |
| |
| |
| |
|To expel someone from a place, e.g. They turned him out of the lecture hall for his disruptive behaviour. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put out an electric light by pushing a switch etc., e.g. He turns out the light and closes his eyes to sleep. |
| |
| |
| |
|To produce something, e.g. The new machine turns out twice as many units as the previous one. |
| |
| |
|turn over |
|To turn upside down, e.g. The car swung around the bend at a great speed and turned over. |
| |
| |
|turn ... over |
|To hand someone to the police, e.g. The villagers turn the wanted man over to the police. |
| |
| |
| |
|To hand something to the police or its rightful owner, e.g. We found a wallet and turned it over to the police. |
| |
| |
| |
|To give someone the ownership of or responsibility for something, e.g. He is slowly turning the business over to his son as he anticipates |
|his retirement. |
| |
| |
| |
|To do an amount of business in a particular period, e.g. That company has been turning over $4 million a year for the past five years. |
| |
| |
| |
|To change television channels, e.g. Can you turn over to the other channels and see what they have? |
| |
| |
|turn to |
|To get help, advice, etc. from someone, e.g. He turned to a consultant for advice on management of his business. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go to a particular page in a book, e.g. The students are asked to turn to page 13. |
| |
| |
|turn up |
|To suddenly appear after having been lost or searched unsuccessfully for, e.g. The villagers were shocked to suddenly see the long missing |
|man turn up at the market. |
| |
| |
| |
|To arrive somewhere, e.g. The politician turned up at a public rally late as usual. |
| |
| |
| |
|To search thoroughly for something, e. g. They searched every inch of the area for the murder weapon and more evidence, but nothing |
|new turned up. |
| |
| |
| |
|To increase the volume, heat, power, etc. of television, oven, air-conditioner, etc., e.g. This is the third time you turn up the |
|television, can you see that I’m reading? |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|925 |
|urge … on |
|To encourage someone or something to continue to do something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|926 |
|use up |
|To consume or expend the whole of something, e.g. I bought a bottle of brake oil and someone used it up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|927 |
|vamp … up |
|To improve something such as making a story more exciting by modifying it. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|928 |
|venture on/upon |
|To do something that involves risks. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|929 |
|verge on/upon |
|To be very close or similar to, e.g. His behaviour sometimes verges on madness. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|930 |
|vest … with |
|To give someone the legal right to power, property, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|931 |
|visit … on |
|To punish someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|932 |
|wad … up |
|To compress soft material such as paper, cloth, etc. into a small lump. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|933 |
|wade in |
|To intervene or become involved in something. |
| |
| |
|wade through |
|To read or deal laboriously with a lot of boring papers or written work. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|934 |
|wait around |
|To stay where one is and do nothing until an expected event occurs, such as the person one waits for arrives, etc. |
| |
| |
|wait behind |
|To stay back until all the others have left. |
| |
| |
|wait on |
|To attend to or serve food to someone, especially customers in a restaurant. |
| |
| |
|wait ... out |
|To wait for something to end, e.g. We had to stay back in college where we waited out the heavy rain. |
| |
| |
|wait up |
|To await the return of someone, e.g. She waited up for her husband’s return so they could go to the cinema together. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|935 |
|wake up |
|To come out or be caused to come out of a sleep, e.g. He uses two alarm clocks to wake him up every morning. |
| |
| |
|wake up to |
|To become aware or alert to what goes on, e.g. More and more people are waking up to the reality of climate warming. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|936 |
|walk all over |
|To treat someone thoughtlessly and unfairly. |
| |
| |
|walk away |
|To move from and not get involved in a dispute, bad situation, etc. |
| |
| |
|walk away with |
|To win something, e.g. She walks away with the first prize in tonight’s contest. |
| |
| |
|walk in |
|To enter a place such as a building, etc., especially unexpectedly or uninvited. |
| |
| |
|walk into |
|To move into something quickly and hard, e.g. He walked into a glass door and slightly hurt himself. |
| |
| |
|walk off |
|To leave someone by moving away from them. |
| |
| |
|walk off with |
|To take along one’s winning, e.g. She walks off happily with the first prize money. |
| |
| |
|walk away with |
|To steal something secretly and quietly, e.g. Someone walked away with the marble statue at the party without anyone noticing it. |
| |
| |
|walk over |
|To take advantage of or treat someone badly, e.g. He allows others to walk all over him by not defending his rights. |
| |
| |
|walk out |
|To go outside. |
| |
| |
| |
|To leave a place suddenly or angrily, especially because one is unhappy over something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To go on strike. |
| |
| |
|walk out on |
|To leave one’s spouse, e.g. She walked out on her husband after discovering he has a lover. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|937 |
|wall … in |
|To enclose an area with walls. |
| |
| |
|wall … off |
|To separate an area from another by building a wall. |
| |
| |
|wall … up |
|To turn a window, doorway, etc. into a wall by filling it with bricks, cement, etc. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|938 |
|waltz off with |
|To take something deliberately without permission or unintentionally, e.g. He waltzed off with the receptionist’s pen after using it. |
| |
| |
|waltz through |
|To do something such as an exam, test, etc. very well and with ease, e.g. She waltzed through her final examination with flying colours. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|939 |
|want for |
|To not have something desirable or essential. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|940 |
|ward … off |
|To prevent someone or something from harming one, e.g. He warded off every blow from his opponent in a martial art contest. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|941 |
|warm to |
|To become more interested in or enthusiastic about someone or something, especially someone whom one has just met. |
| |
| |
|warm up |
|(Food, house, etc) to make warm or warmer by reheating it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make engine, etc. reach a required temperature for it to be operational, e.g. I usually warm up the car before I drive it. |
| |
| |
| |
|To prepare one’s body for a physical activity, e.g. warming up before a race by doing light stretching exercises. |
| |
| |
|warm up to |
|To become more interested in or enthusiastic about someone or something, especially someone whom one has just met. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|942 |
|warn against |
|To advise someone against doing something because it may have bad or dangerous consequences. |
| |
| |
|warn … off |
|To advise or use threats to tell or order someone to stay away or refrain from doing something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|943 |
|wash … down |
|To clean something large with plenty of water, e.g. spent the whole afternoon washing down the garage. |
| |
| |
| |
|To drink something to facilitate swallowing, e.g. medicine, or food such as steak and chips, washed down with plain water or red wine. |
| |
| |
|wash ... off |
|To clean something such as dirt, dust, stain, etc. from a surface with water, e.g. Jack washed the dirt off his face and hair after he fell |
|headlong into a muddy drain. |
| |
| |
|wash ... out |
|To cause the postponement or cancellation of something, especially a sport event, because of heavy rain, e.g. The outdoor jumble sale was |
|washed out by a sudden downpour. |
| |
| |
|wash up |
|To do the dishes after a meal, e.g. Now whose turn is it to wash up? |
| |
| |
| |
|To clean one’s hands and face, e.g. She habitually washes up before she says her prayers. |
| |
| |
| |
|To bring something up to the shore, e.g. The waves washed up the dead body of an unknown creature on the beach. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|944 |
|waste away |
|To become progressively and abnormally weaker and thinner. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|945 |
|watch for |
|To look out for something. |
| |
| |
|watch out |
|To be careful or to tell someone to be careful, e.g. She ought to be careful when passing comments, which are always highly critical of |
|other people |
| |
| |
|watch out for |
|To keep looking and waiting for someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be alert, e.g. watch out for strangers loitering close to one’s house. |
| |
| |
|watch over |
|To guard or protect someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|946 |
|water … down |
|To make something less assertive or controversial by modifying certain details, especially to achieve an agreement. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|947 |
|wave … aside |
|To disregard someone’s opinion, idea, etc. |
| |
| |
|wave … down |
|To hail the driver of a vehicle to stop. |
| |
| |
|wave … off |
|To move one’s hand to signal goodbye to someone as they leave. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|948 |
|wean … off |
|To make someone give up a habit or addiction, e.g. Some infants are weaned off their mothers’ milk as early as at four months. |
| |
| |
|wean... on |
|To be strongly influenced by something from a very early age. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|949 |
|wear away |
|To erode something. |
| |
| |
|wear down |
|To gradually worsen the condition of something or someone, e.g. The stair carpet has worn down in places. |
| |
| |
| |
|To overcome someone or something by persistence, e.g. He is very secretive about his earnings, but gradually his siblings wear him down. |
| |
| |
|wear off |
|To gradually lose the effectiveness or intensity of something, e.g. pain, anaesthesia, the effects of drugs or alcohol, novelty of a |
|product, emotional feelings, etc. gradually wears off. |
| |
| |
|wear on |
|(Time) to pass very slowly. |
| |
| |
|wear out |
|To tire someone out completely, e.g. Chasing and catching butterflies the whole afternoon has worn me out. |
| |
| |
| |
|To become damaged by constant use, e.g. My right shoe wears out faster than my left shoe. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|950 |
|weed … out |
|To get rid of someone or something that is longer effective. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|951 |
|weigh … down |
|(Load, feelings, etc.) to weigh heavily on someone, e.g. an employed person weighed down with frustration. |
| |
| |
|weigh in |
|(Boxer or jockey) to be officially weighed before or after a contest. |
| |
| |
|weigh on |
|To be depressing or burdensome to someone, e.g. Her incurable illness is beginning to weigh on her. |
| |
| |
|weigh ... out |
|To measure an amount of something by weight, e.g. The seller weighed out a kilogram of sugar and handed it over to a customer. |
| |
| |
|weigh ... up |
|To consider carefully the qualities, importance, etc. of something before making a decision. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|952 |
|wheel … out |
|To publicly introduce or display someone or something for a specific purpose, e.g. A politician is very fond of having famous personalities |
|accompanying him in his election campaign. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|953 |
|whip through |
|To finish a job very quickly, e.g. He whipped through the work faster than all the other workers combined. |
| |
| |
|whip up |
|To deliberately excite, stimulate a particular feeling or provoke a reaction in someone, e.g. to whip up support for someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To make something very quickly, especially a meal. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|954 |
|whisk … away/off |
|To take or remove something or someone quickly from a place, e.g. On arrival at the airport, the foreign head of state was whisked away. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|955 |
|whittle …away/off |
|To gradually make or become smaller or less in amount, degree, value, size, or weight, e.g. to whittle away the powers or list of someone or|
|something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|956 |
|wimp out |
|To cowardly refrain from doing something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|957 |
|win … around |
|To gain someone’s attention, support, or love. |
| |
| |
|win … back |
|To regain what one had before, e.g. to win back her love |
| |
| |
|win out/through |
|To manage to succeed or achieve something by effort. |
| |
| |
|win … over |
|To gain someone’s support, attention or favour |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|958 |
|wind down |
|To relax after working very hard. |
| |
| |
| |
|To slowly lessen the activities of a business or organization prior to its closure. |
| |
| |
|wind up |
|To close down a company or organization. |
| |
| |
| |
|To end something such as a meeting, activity, etc. |
| |
| |
| |
|To deliberately annoy or tease someone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be in a bad situation one created, e.g. to wind up in court over something one has committed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|959 |
|wink at |
|To pretend not to notice something bad or illegal, especially something one tacitly approves. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|960 |
|winkle … out |
|To obtain something from someone, e.g. winkled secret information out of someone. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|961 |
|wipe … down |
|To completely clean or dry a surface by rubbing with a cloth. |
| |
| |
|wipe … off |
|To subtract an amount from a value or debt. |
| |
| |
| |
|To clean or dry by rubbing with a cloth, e.g. He wiped droppings of birds off the windscreen of his car with a damp cloth. |
| |
| |
|wipe out |
|To completely destroy or eliminate something, e.g. A gigantic swarm of locusts wiped out a huge area of crops within hours. |
| |
| |
| |
|To ruin someone financially, e.g. His compulsive gambling over the years has wiped out his vast fortune. |
| |
| |
| |
|To clean or dry something, e.g. He wiped out the sweat on his forehead with a cloth. |
| |
| |
|wipe up |
|To dry or remove moisture, dirt, etc. from the surface of something, e.g. My sick dog vomited on the floor and I had to wipe it all up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|962 |
|wise up |
|To become or make someone become alert or aware of the unpleasant truth about a situation. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|963 |
|wish away |
|To desire something unpleasant will not happen. |
| |
| |
|wish for |
|To secretly want or desire something and hope it will be realized. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|964 |
|witness to |
|To state that something is true or that one actually sees something happened, e.g. to be a witness to a person’s good character or witnessed|
|the accused loitering near the scene of the murder. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|965 |
|work … in |
|To try to include something, e.g. to put washing his car in his list of things to do. |
| |
| |
|work … off |
|To reduce one’s frustration by venting it on others. |
| |
| |
| |
|To discharge a debt by working. |
| |
| |
|work on |
|To be engaged in doing something, e.g. He spent the whole night working on his research paper. |
| |
| |
|work out |
|To calculate something, e.g. have to work out how much they can afford for a new house. |
| |
| |
| |
|To think about something and solve it, e.g. He managed to work it out without help from anyone. |
| |
| |
| |
|To understand someone’s character, e.g. No one seems able to work out why he behaves this way every time he gets back from work. |
| |
| |
| |
|To plan carefully about doing something, e.g. I have worked out who is going to do what in this project. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop in a positive way, e.g. Things begin to work out for them and they find they are happier together. |
| |
| |
| |
|To engage oneself in a programme of regular exercises, e.g. He works out twice a week in a gymnasium. |
| |
| |
|work ... over |
|To beat someone up repeatedly. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop a state of excitement, anxiety, etc. over something, e.g. He works himself up into a state of anxiety about his forthcoming first|
|job interview. |
| |
| |
|work up |
|To develop or improve something by putting in hard effort, e.g. He intends to work up some findings to support a ban on animal research. |
| |
| |
| |
|To develop a feeling, e.g. Whenever she thinks of him, it really works up her anger and hatred. |
| |
| |
|work up to |
|To proceed gradually towards doing something, e.g. I don’t want to do it but I am still working up to it because it has to be done. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|966 |
|worry at/out |
|To think at length about a possible solution to a problem. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|967 |
|wrap up |
|To completely cover up something with wrapping paper, cloth, etc., e.g. to wrap up a birthday present. |
| |
| |
| |
|To put on warm clothes, e.g. If we know it’s freezing in here, we would have wrapped up warm. |
| |
| |
| |
|To be engrossed in something, e.g. Work wraps up all his attention that he hardly has time to socialize. |
| |
| |
| |
|To complete or finish something, e.g. They wrapped up their week-long piece of research work with a leisurely drink. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|968 |
|wriggle out of |
|To avoid doing something by devious means. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|969 |
|write back |
|To reply to someone’s letter, e.g. My grandpa is always prompt in writing back. |
| |
| |
|write ... down |
|To jot something down on a piece of paper for later use, e.g. I wrote down her telephone number on my business card. |
| |
| |
|write in |
|To write to an organization, etc. for a purpose, e.g. to write in asking for more information, to complain, to give one’s view or to comment|
|as requested, etc. |
| |
| |
|write into |
|To include someone’s name in the list of candidates in order to vote for them. |
| |
| |
| |
|To include something in something else such as a document, agreement, etc., e.g. I requested him to have my occupation written into the |
|document. |
| |
| |
|write off |
|To dismiss someone or something as a failure, unnecessary, unimportant, etc., e.g. Some observers have written it off as another white |
|elephant. |
| |
| |
| |
|To decide an asset no longer has any value, e.g. The management agreed the machines that were badly damaged in the fire should be written |
|off. |
| |
| |
| |
|To cancel bad debts or possible bad debts, e.g. Some of the poor nations’ debts were written off as apparently they were unable to settle |
|them. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|970 |
|x out |
|To mark out a mistake in a piece of writing. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|971 |
|yield … up |
|To gradually give out more information, e.g. The ocean depths yield up more and more information as exploration is stepped up. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|972 |
|zero in on |
|To focus all of one’s attention on someone or something. |
| |
| |
| |
|To aim a gun towards someone or something. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|973 |
|zip up |
|To fasten a piece of clothing with a zip, e.g. I have to change my trousers as I cannot zip up; the zipper jammed. |
| |
|[pic] |
| |
|974 |
|zoom in/out |
|(Camera) to change from a picture that is close to one that is distant or vice versa. |
| |
A phrasal verb is a verb that is combined with a preposition (at, on, over, etc.) or adverb (back, down, off, etc.), and together has its own special meaning. For example, get away means escape; and speak up means speak louder.
Some phrasal verbs retain the meaning of the original verb while some others have meaning completely different to the original verb.
EXAMPLE: I asked them to come in. (The phrasal verb come in means enter which is easily understood as we are familiar with the meaning of the words: come, in.)
EXAMPLE: The deal fell through at the last minute. (The phrasal verb fell through means not completed successfully which is different in meaning to the verb fell.)
Phrasal verbs can be separable or non-separable. When a phrasal verb is separable, a noun object comes after the participle of the phrasal verb or comes between the verb and the participle. (A participle is the word that is used in a phrasal verb. Examples of participle: at, in, on, off, away, etc.) If a phrasal verb is non-separable, a noun or pronoun always comes after the participle.
| |
|Phrasal Verbs (Separable) |
|The nouns come between the verbs and the participles, and the noun objects come after the participles of the phrasal verbs. |
|His part-time office job is to put the files away. (The noun files is between verb put and the participle away.) |
|She wrote my phone number down on a piece of paper. |
|They called off the match due to bad weather. (Noun object match comes after the participle off.) |
|He pointed out the accused to the police. |
|3. Phrasal Verbs (Non-Separable) |
|In some phrasal verbs, the verb and the participle cannot be separated. An object cannot come between the verb and the participle. It can |
|come only after the verb and the participle. Usually, the noun or pronoun comes after the participles. |
|He will look after my dog while I am away. (INCORRECT: He will look my dog after while I am away.) |
|They called on her when she was hospitalized. (call on = pay a brief visit. INCORRECT: ... called her on...) |
|Jack ran into Jill while he was on his way home. (run into = meet by chance) |
|4. Phrasal Verbs without an Object |
|Some phrasal verbs do not take on an object. |
| |
|EXAMPLE: |
|They told him to hurry up. |
|We decided that we should get together more regularly. |
|After what happened, he promised to speak up. |
|5. Phrasal Verbs with an Object |
|Many phrasal verbs take an object. |
| |
|EXAMPLE: |
|He turns off the light whenever he leaves the room. |
|She puts her glasses on each time she goes out. |
|They looked through the drawer but couldn't find it. |
|6. Phrasal Verbs - Intransitive |
|Phrasal verbs that are intransitive are not followed by a noun or an object. |
| |
|EXAMPLE: |
|We invited them to join in. (No noun or object follows the phrasal verb.) |
|When she heard what happened, she broke down. (No noun or object follows the phrasal verb.) |
|He shouted to them, "Hurry up!" (No noun or object follows the phrasal verb.) |
|7. Phrasal Verbs - Transitive |
|Phrasal verbs that are transitive are followed by a noun or an object. The preposition cannot be separated from the verb. |
|Put on your cap. (INCORRECT: Put your cap on.) |
| |
|The adverb participle can be separated from the verb and placed after the noun object. |
|He takes his jacket off. (OR: He takes off his jacket.) |
| |
|She tried on a few pairs of shoes but they didn't fit. (Verb + preposition + noun) |
|He's always looked up to him for his courage. (Verb + participle + preposition + pronoun) |
|8. Three-word Phrasal verbs |
|A phrasal verb can be a combination of three words. Three-word phrasal verbs are non-separable. These phrasal verbs are followed by the noun|
|or pronoun. The three-word phrasal verb can be transitive, that is followed by an object, or intransitive that is not followed by an object.|
|EXAMPLE: When we were young, we liked to hang out with each other. |
|EXAMPLE: Their children grew up in a respectable neighbourhood. |
| |
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