Phrasal Verbs: Definitions and Examples

Phrasal Verbs: Definitions and Examples

• Ask someone around: Invite someone to visit your home.

• Example: I asked Mary around to watch a movie, but she was busy.

• Ask someone out: Invite someone on a date.

• Example: Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie.

• Clarification: This implies a romantic interest.

• Be around: To be alive, existent, or present.

• Example: This restaurant has been around since 1938.

• Be away: To be elsewhere, on holiday, etc.

• Example: She's away on business for three weeks.

• Be cut out for: To be suited or suitable for a particular role or occupation.

• Example: She is definitely cut out for a career in medicine.

• Alternative definition: Be suitable, have the necessary qualities.

• Example: She's not cut out for this kind of work.

• Alternative definition: Naturally able or suited to do or be (something).

• Example: Why do you think that you're cut out for this job?

• Be cut up: To be upset.

• Example: She was very cut up about coming second as she thought she deserved to win.

• Be down: To be depressed.

• Example: He's been down since his partner left him.

• Alternative definition: Be reduced or less.

• Example: The firm's profits are down by ten percent this quarter.

• Alternative definition: Have negative feelings toward someone.

• Example: After the argument, James is down on his boss.

• Be down with: To be ill.

• Example: Gul is down with some bug and is off work today.

• Example: She has been down with the flu for a week.

• Be down with: To be on friendly terms with or enjoy the company of somebody.

• Example: I'm still down with Cathy.

• Be snowed under: To have too much work.

• Example: We're completely snowed under at work because it's the end of the tax year.

• Be taken aback: To be shocked or surprised.

• Example: I was taken aback when I saw him because he's lost all his hair.

• Example: She was completely taken aback by his anger.

• Be taken with: To like something.

• Example: I was very taken with the performance, it was superb.

• Be there for: To be available to provide comfort and support for someone, especially in a period of difficulty.

• Be up: To be out of bed.

• Example: She's not up yet.

• Alternative definition: Have increased or risen.

• Example: The company's profits are up by fifteen percent.

• Alternative definition: When the time for something finishes or expires.

• Example: Time's up, please finish your drinks and leave.

• Be up for: To be enthusiastic about an upcoming event.

• Example: Are you up for the climb of Mt. Blanc?

• Alternative definition: To want to do something.

• Example: Who's up for pizza tonight?

• Alternative definition: Ready and willing for something, agreeable to something.

• Example: Sure, I'm up for going to the mall.

• Be up to: To be good enough.

• Example: He's not up to the job, get someone else.

• Alternative definition: Doing something naughty or wrong.

• Example: What are those kids up to?

• Alternative definition: Do or be involved in doing something.

• Be with: Have sex with someone.

• Alternative definition: Date or be boyfriend/girlfriend with

• Alternative definition: Agree with someone

• Alternative definition: Understand someone's point or intention

• Bear down on: To move towards.

• Example: She spotted him on the other side of the room and bore down on him.

• Bear on: To influence, affect.

• Example: The judge's character may well bear on the final decision.

• Alternative definition: Be relevant to

• Bear out: To confirm that something is correct.

• Example: Statistics bear out the government's positions on the issue.

• Alternative definition: Corroborate, prove, or confirm, to demonstrate.

• Bear up: To resist pressure.

• Example: How are you bearing up under the strain?

• Alternative definition: Cope with something difficult or stressful.

• Example: He's bearing up under the pressure.

• Alternative definition: Be relevant to

• Bear with: To be patient.

• Example: Please bear with me a moment while I finish this email.

• Beat down: Strong sunshine.

• Example: The sun was really beating down and we couldn't stay outdoors.

• Alternative definition: Get someone to lower the price of something.

• Example: I managed to beat him down to fifty Euros.

• Alternative definition: Strike with great force.

• Example: The rain has been beating down on our roof for hours.

• Alternative definition: Haggle with someone to sell at a lower price.

• Example: The clerk wanted $40 for the shoes but I beat him down to $30.

• Alternative definition: To exhaust or discourage someone.

• Example: The long winters here just beat me down.

• Blow in: To arrive, sometimes suddenly or unexpectedly.

• Example: He blew in from Toronto early this morning.

• Blow off: When the wind removes something from its place.

• Example: We were going to meet last night, but she blew me off at the last minute.

• Alternative definition: Not keep an appointment.

• Example: We were going to meet last night, but she blew me off at the last minute.

• Alternative definition: Ignore, not do something.

• Example: I blew the homework off and did badly.

• Alternative definition: Expel gas from the anus.

• Example: He blew off in front of everybody.

• Alternative definition: When the wind removes something from its place.

• Example: We were going to meet last night, but she blew me off at the last minute.

• Alternative definition: Let steam escape through a passage provided for the purpose.

• Alternative definition: Shirk or disregard.

• Alternative definition: To ignore or intentionally avoid a person, planned event, or responsibility, often to do something frivolous instead.

• Example: I blew off class this afternoon and went to the mall instead.

• Alternative definition: The act of ignoring someone.

• Alternative definition: To engage in frivolous or unproductive activities.

• Example: Stop blowing off and just work on your paper!

• Alternative definition: Forcibly disconnect something by use of a firearm or explosive device.

• Alternative definition: Move something off of a surface, making it move by the force of wind.

• Example: That wind today blew off all of the clothes I'd hung on the clothesline.

• Alternative definition: Be carried off something by moving air.

• Example: The leaves of the trees blew off in the strong wind.

• Alternative definition: To explode off of something, typically due to an increase in pressure that must be released.

• Alternative definition: To voice one's anger or frustration.

• Example: I'm sorry to rant like that, but work is so frustrating right now that I needed to blow off a little.

• Alternative definition: Prioritizes frivolous activities over important or productive ones.

• Example: Stop being such a blow-off and just work on your paper!

• Alternative definition: Something that is very easy to do.

• Example: Come on, these chores are a blow-off - you can get them done in 10 minutes.

• Blow out: To extinguish or make a flame stop burning.

• Example: She blew the candles out on her birthday cake.

• Alternative definition: Extinguish candles, matches, etc.

• Example: She blew the candles out on her birthday cake.

• Alternative definition: Defeat decisively.

• Example: The Broncos blew out the Raiders 55-0.

• Alternative definition: To extinguish or make a flame stop burning.

• Example: She blew the candles out on her birthday cake.

• Alternative definition: Extinguish something, especially a flame.

• Example: Make a wish and blow out your birthday candles!

• Alternative definition: Deflate quickly on being punctured.

• Alternative definition: Be driven out by the expansive force of a gas or vapour.

• Alternative definition: To break or burst suddenly.

• Example: I almost lost control of the car when one of the tires blew out on the highway.

• Alternative definition: To break or explode due to excessive pressure or force.

• Break into: Enter illegally or by force, especially in order to commit a crime.

• Alternative definition: Successfully enter a profession or business.

• Alternative definition: Begin suddenly.

• Alternative definition: Enter (with effort or force).

• Alternative definition: Enter a building or car by using force, in order to steal something.

• Alternative definition: Open or begin to use.

• Alternative definition: Enter forcibly.

• Break down: Disintegrate, divide into smaller parts.