Most Common Phrasal Verbs -English Definition

Look up to

To admire and respect someone. Example: The person I most admire and _______ ____ ____ is my grandfather. He's a role model to me.

Turn up

To arrive, often unexpectedly or later than planned. Example: The meeting started at 10a.m., but Steven didn't _______ ____ until much later. He is never on time.

Grow up

To change from being a baby to an older child or adult. Example: She lives in London, but she _______ ____ in Pravia, a small village in the nort of Spain.

Carry on with

To continue doing something. Example: I can't concentrate very well now. I'll _______ _____ ______ this work after I've had a cup of tea.

Tell off

To criticize someone angrily for doing something wrong. Example: It's not fair! Chris hit me and my mum ___________ me ___________ for shouting at him. She always favours him!

Pass away

To die. Example: He ______ ______ on his sleep at the age of eighty-four. The doctor said it was a heard attack.

Let down

To disappoint someone by not doing something they expected. Example: I'm fairly certain that my parents felt I had _______ them _______ when I failed my exams.

Find out

To discover a fact or piece of information. Example: A team of detectives is trying to _______ _______ what happened the night she desappeared.

Carry out

To do a particular piece of work, research, etc. Example: Medical researchers have been _________ __________ experiments to determine the cause of the desease.

Go on

To do something after finishing doing something else. Example: Sting was an English teacher before ________ ______ to become lead singer with The police.

Break up

To end; to separate (of a marriage / a family / a relationship etc.). Example: After 10 years of marriage, they have just _____________ ___________. He is devastated!

Look forward to

To feel excited about someting that is going to happen. Example: I'll meet you at the station. I am really ___________ __________ ______ seeing you again after all this time.

Come across

To find something by chance. Example: I was tidying my room when I _______ ________ my old school reports. I thought I'd thrown them away

Get on with

To have a friendly relationship with each other. Example: Someone and I used to be friends, but we don't _____ ______ _____ each other now. We had a big argument.

Make up

To invent a story, poem or joke. Example: I don't think that's true! He's always _______ _____ stories, you should never believe what he says.

Look into

To investigate; to try to discover the facts about a crime. Example: The fire started in a classroom. The police are __________________ ___________ the possible causes and have already interviewed some students.

Put up

To let someone stay in your house. Example: Come and stay with us. We can ______ you ____ for a week if you like. Our house is huge.

Take after

To look or behave like an older relative. Example: I look like my father, but my brother _____________ __________ my mother, they both get angry very easily.

Turn down

To not accept a request or offer; to reject. Example: The factory offered him a job, but he ______ it _________; he decided he wanted to apply for an office job instead.

Put off

To postpone; to change something to a later time or date. Example: The church was flooded so they had to _____ _____ the wedding until spring, when it had dried out.

Take off

To remove clothing. Example: It was a very hot day and I had to __________ ______ my jacket.

Take up

To start doing something new like a hobby. Example: Jim always has his camera with him. He______________ ______ photography last year and never stops taking photos.

Set up

To start something such as a business or organization. Example: The family hat-making business was _________ ___ by my grandfather in 1927.

Take on

To start to employ someone. Example: I've heard that the factory wants to __________ ______ more employees. I'm going to apply for a job there.

Give up

To stop doing something that you do regularly. Example: I used to smoke 20 cigarettes a day. Then I ____________ _____ smoking completely and now I feel much better.

Call off

To stop or cancel, especially a sport event. Example: Tomorrow's tennis match has been ______ ______ because of the icy weather

Look after

To take care of someone or something. Example: Pete is going to feed the cat and Sue is going to _________ _________ the dog while we're on holiday.

Come up with

To think of something (an answer, an idea, a solution). Example: Well, that's the problem! Now, we need to _________ _____ _________ a solution.

Put up with

To tolerate unpleasant behaviour. Example: We had to move because we couldn't ____ _____ _____ the noise from the neighbours any more.

Run out of

Use all of something so that none is left. Example: I checked the fridge and I see we've ______ _______ ____ eggs. Could you go and buy some?