PHRASAL VERBS Flashcards
give off
to produce heat, light, smell, gas (ex. fire gives off a lot of smoke)
go round/around
there is enough for everyone in a group of people (ex. are there enough pencils to go round?)
put down to
to attribute or explain the cause of something (ex. yesterday I was really tired but I put down not to have a good night of sleep; I cancelled on my friends’ plans tonight, I put it down to me being really tired)
keep up with
to do whatever is necessary to stay level or equal with someone or something (ex. she walks so fast I can never keep up with her)
make out
to see, hear, or understand something or someone with difficulty (ex. the numbers are too small: I can’t make them out at all)
point out
to make a person notice someone or something, sometimes by holding up one of your fingers towards him, her, or it
go off
- when the food is expired/spoiled (=gone squishy/weird)/rotten
- to make a loud noise (ex. alarm)
- to stop working
- to explode
make for
to go in the direction of a place or thing
creep past
to move slowly and quietly without being noticed
dash around
to move very quickly
smash/crash into
when a vehicle or a driver hit something, in a way that damages the vehicle and hurts someone
break off
- to detach/separate something from the whole object
- to stop doing something (ex. a negotiation)
be turned down by
to be refused/declined from someone/something (a job)
be taken on by
to be hired
be checked up on
to try to discover what someone is doing in order to be certain that that person is doing what they should be doing
be cut out for
to be the right type of person for a particular job or activity
hand in
- to give something to someone (school/work)
- to submit or deliver something to a person in authority
send off for
to write to an organization to ask them to send you something (ex. I’ve sent off for a catalogue; we had to send off to Ireland for a replacement part)
splash out on
to spend a lot of money on buying things, especially things that are pleasant to have but that you do not need (material stuff, ex. dress)
settle down
- to start living in a place, usually with your partner
- to become familiar with a place and to feel happy and confident in it
embark on
to start something new or important (a journey, a job, a trip)
stumble into
to start doing something by chance, without an intention (ex. he had stumbled into teaching English after he finished college)
get away
- to leave or escape from a person or place, often when it is difficult to do this
- to go somewhere to have a holiday, often because you need to rest
fall through
to fail to happen (ex. we found a buyer for our house, but then the sale fell through)
pass on/pass down
to teach or give something to someone who will be alive after you have died
wind (/waind/) somebody up/take the mickey out of someone
- to tell someone something that is not true in order to make a joke
- to annoy or upset someone
turn in
to go to bed
come away
- to stop doing something (experience)
- to detach from something (objects)
break out
- to start suddenly (war/epidemic/fire/fight)
- to get spots on your face
strike up
to start to play or sing something
pore over
to look at and study something carefully (book/document)
pull away
to distance myself/someone else
be pried out
to get money or information from someone with a lot of difficulty
(ex. the secret was pried out of him)
put together
- to assemble/construct
- to prepare a piece of work by collecting several ideas and suggestions and organizing them
pick up
- to go collect a person
- to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
show off
to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or admiration, and that other people often find annoying
start off
“to begin with”, the first thing that you’re going to do in a certain situation
fall off
- to drop from something towards the ground by accident
- to become less in number, amount, or quality (ex. production fell off last month)
back down
to admit that you were wrong or that you have been defeated
boil down
- to feel hot
- to heat a liquid or food so that part of it is turned into gas and its amount is reduced, or to be reduced in this way
- to summarize a situation
break down
- to stop working (machine, vehicle)
- to start to cry
calm down
to stop feeling upset, angry, or excited, or to stop someone feeling this way
close down
when an organisation or someone in general stops operating
cut down
to do or use less of something
cut down on
stroncare
die down
- to become quieter (laughter, applause, event)
- to become reduced in strength (a storm, the wind, the rain)
fall down
to fall to the ground
get down to
to begin doing something which requires effort and attention
go down
- to become lower (ex. price)
- to move down to a lower level or place
- to disappear below the water (to sink/the sun goes down)
- to get worse in quality (ex. house)
hand down
to give something to someone younger than you in the family because you want them to have it or because you no longer need it (physical things)
hold down
- to keep someone still to stop him/her/it from moving
- to stay working in a job
hunt down
to search everywhere for someone or something until you find him/her/it
jot down
to write something quickly on a piece of paper so that you remember it
kneel down
inginocchiarsi
knock down
- to knock buildings down (destroy)
- to knock prices down
- to hit someone with a vehicle and injure or kill them (ex. she was knocked down by a bus)
let down
to disappoint someone by failing to do what you agreed to do or were expected to do
look down on
to think that you are better than someone
mark down
to reduce the price (even a grade when talking about school) of something, usually in order to encourage people to buy it
nail down
to make someone give you exact details or a firm decision about something
bump into
to meet someone you know when you have not planned to meet them
come across as
to give the impression/idea of being in a certain way
break into
to forcefully enter a place (illegally)
turn down
- to refuse an offer or request (ex. he offered her a trip to Australia but she turned it/him down; he turned down the job because it involved too much travelling)
- to lower the volume
narrow down
- to limit the choises (just in a general way, a smaller selection of choises)
- to select personnel
play down
to make something seem less important or less bad than it really is= sdrammatizzare
run someone down
- to criticize someone or something, often unfairly (ex. he’s always running himself down)
- to hit someone with a car
to put something down
to write or print something, especially to record it in a formal document
slow down
to be less active and relax more and to reduce speed
step down
to leave an important job or position, especially to allow someone else to take your place
take down
- to write something that another person has just said
- to destroy or remove a building
- to place something above you elsewhere
tone down
to make something less forceful or offensive (a piece of writing, a speech or your attitude)
track down
to search for someone or something, often when it is difficult to find that person or thing
slam down
to throw things down on a surface
water down
- to add water to an alcoholic drink in order to make it less strong
- to shorten a story
wear down
- to overuse something
- when a person has gone through a lot and there’s repeated emotional pressure (tired)
wolf down
to eat fast, taking big bites, not breathing
write down
to write something on a piece of paper so that you do not forget it
moan about
to complain about something
speak out
to say in public what you think about something (a law/official plan/action)
speak up
to speak in a louder voice so that people can hear you
stem from
to start or develop as the result of something (ex. her problems stem from her difficult childhood)
cope with
to deal successfully with a difficult situation or a person in a difficult situation= affrontare
give up
to stop fighting for something
stand over
to stand close to someone and watch what they are doing
take back
- to give something back
- to change your mind about something you want to say (in a negative way)
- to take someone back home
- to make somebody remember something (ex. it took me back to my childhood)
turn away
- to not allow someone to enter a place
- to move your face so you are not looking at something (ex. when they show an operation on TV, I have to turn away)
come up against
to have to deal with a problem
go by
- to move past (in space or time) to somebody or something (ex. I watch the train going by my window)
- to follow rules/policies/mottos
get by
to be able to live or deal with a situation with difficulty, usually by having just enough of something you need (ex. money)
get along with
get on well with someone because you have a good relationship with him/her/them
run up
- to have a huge debt
- to have a huge amount of money on your bill
turn to
- to put responsibility into someone in a difficult situation
- darsi a qualcosa (di negativo, ex. alcohol, drugs)
pull off
to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected
find out about
to get information about something because you want to know more about it or to learn a fact or piece of information for the first time
get over
to get better after an illness/disappointment
trek through
attraversare montagne
slip on
scivolare
bring out
- to make something appear (ex. bring out the new game; exams bring out the best of me thanks to the pressure)
- to release/publish something (ex. she’s bringing out an album)
go with
to match/suit something (ex. those shoes go with that dress)
result in
to cause a particular situation to happen
think straight
to think rationally
lay out
to arrange something on a flat surface (ex. plans, books)
take care of/look after
to give serious attention to what you are doing so that you do not make a mistake
back out of
to decide not to do something that you had said you would do
be up to
- to be doing something
- good/strong enough for a particular activity
bring about
to cause something to happen
burst into
- to suddenly start to cry
- to enter a room or building suddenly without warning
call for
to need or deserve a particular action, remark, or quality (ex. it’s the sort of work that calls for a high level of concentration)
find out
to get information about something because you want to know more about it, or to learn a fact or piece of information for the first time
see to
to deal with a person or task that needs to be dealt with or is waiting to be dealt with= “ci penso io”
catch up with
if something bad that you have done or that has been happening to you catches up with you, it begins to cause problems for you (ex. his lies will catch up with him one day)
miss out
to fail to include someone or something that should be included= dimenticare qualcosa
clear up
to make a place tidy by removing things from it or putting them where they should be
cloud over
if the sky clouds over, it becomes covered with clouds= annuvolarsi
come across
- to find something by chance= imbattersi in
- to give other people a certain feeling or opinion
clear out
to leave a place
come up with
to suggest or think of an idea or plan= inventarsi/trovare (soluzione)
die out
to become less common and finally stop existing (creatures, habits)
nod off/doze off/drop off
to begin sleeping unintentionally= appisolarsi
fall behind
to fail to do something fast enough or on time (ex. he was ill for six weeks and fell behind with his schoolwork)
feel up to
to have the energy to do something (ex. I don’t feel up to going out tonight)
get away with
to succeed in avoiding punishment for something= farla franca
make up for
to compensate for something bad with something good (ex. Lucie promised that she would make up for lost time)
get across
to manage to make someone understand or believe something
bring up
to start to talk about a particular subject (ex. she’s always bringing up her health problems)
blow out
to stop burning when a person or the wind blows on it= spegnere (candele)
pay back
to pay someone the money that you owe them
send in
to send something to an organization
stand out
- to be very noticeable= farsi notare
- to be much better than other similar things or people= sapersi distinguere
send for
to send someone a message asking them to come to see you
die away
to become reduced until it stops existing or disappears
set off
when an activity/event begins or happens
break up
- when a marriage or a relationship ends
- when a party ends and people leave
get through
to finish something (ex. I can get through a lot more work when I’m on my own)
give away
to give something to someone without asking for payment (ex. the shop is giving away a sample to every customer)
give out
to stop working (a machine/ part of the body, ex. at the end of the race his legs gave out and he collapsed on the ground)
keep on
to continue to talk in an annoying way about something (ex. don’t keep on, I’ll sort it out in a minute)
look up to
to admire and respect someone
put up with
to accept or continue to accept an unpleasant situation or experience, or someone who behaves unpleasantly
run out of
to finish, use, or sell all of something, so that there is none left
take after
to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character
turn out
to happen in a particular way or to have a particular result
turn up
to arrive or appear somewhere, usually unexpectedly or in a way that was not planned (ex. do you think many people will turn up?)
work out
to understand something or to find the answer to something by thinking about it
hang up
to end a phone conversation
run over
to hit and drive over a person with a vehicle
catch on
- to understand how to do something
- to become fashionable or popular (ex. I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people)
tell apart
to be able to see the difference between two very similar things or people= distinguere
part with
to give something to someone else, especially when you do not want to (ex. I was going to give away her old baby clothes, but I couldn’t bring myself to part with them)
carry out
to do or complete something, especially that you have said you would do or that you have been told to do
tie down
to limit someone’s freedom (ex. we’d like to travel more, but having children at school really ties us down)
blow up
to destroy something or kill someone with a bomb, or to be destroyed or killed by a bomb
cross out
to draw a line through something you have written, usually because it is wrong
count on
to be confident that you can depend on someone
ramble on
to talk or write in a confused way, often for a long time
pass away
to die
get around
to travel to a lot of places
butt in
to interrupt a conversation or discussion or someone who is talking= interrompere
come in for
to receive blame or criticism= essere oggetto di
fill in
to write the necessary information on an official document= compilare
gamble away
to lose something by gambling= perdere al gioco d’azzardo
usher in
to initiate= inaugurare
drop in
to come for a visit, often without having received an invitation for a specific time= fare un salto da
face up to
to accept that a difficult situation exists= affrontare
feed up to
to make a person or animal healthier or fatter by giving them a lot of food
get on with
to start or continue doing something, especially work (ex. stop talking and get on with it)
get round to
to find time for
get up to
to do something, often something that other people would disapprove of (ex. she usually gets up to some sort of trouble at school)
go in for
to do something regularly, or to enjoy something
grow out of
to become too big to fit into clothes
stand up for
to defend or support a particular idea or a person who is being criticized or attacked
ask after
to ask for information about someone, especially about their health
call on
to ask someone in a formal way to do something (ex. they’re calling on all men and boys over the age of 14 to join the army)
come into
to receive money/property/title as a result of the death of a relation (ex. she came into a bit of money when her grandfather died)= entrare in possesso di
do without
to manage without having something (there’s no mayonnaise left, so you’ll just have to do without)= fare a meno di
go over
to examine or look at something in a careful or detailed way
join in
to become involved in an activity with other people= partecipare a
live on
if you live on an amount of money, that is the money that you use to buy the things that you need= campare
pick on
to criticize, punish, or be unkind to the same person often and unfairly= prendere di mira
run into
to meet someone you know when you are not expecting to
see about
to prepare for or deal with an action or event, or to arrange for something to be done (ex. it’s getting late, I’d better see about lunch)
stand for
to accept a situation or a particular type of behaviour
hold up
- to delay someone or something (ex. traffic was held up for several hours by the accident)
- to remain strong or successful (ex. I hope the repairs hold up until we can get to a garage)
knock out
to hit someone so that they become unconscious
leave out
to not include someone or something= escludere
look up
to become better (ex. I hope things will start to look up in the new year)
make up
- to invent something, such as an excuse or a story
put aside
to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose= mettere da parte
put off
to postpone
put up
to raise something, or to fix something in a raised position (ex. why don’t you put up your hood/umbrella?)
show around
to go with someone to the main parts of a place that they have not visited before, so that they can see what it is like or learn about it
take over
to start doing a job or being responsible for something that another person did or had responsibility for before
take up
- to fill an amount of space or time (ex. this desk takes up too much room)
- to start doing a particular job or activity (ex. he’s taken up the position of supervisor)
tear up
to tear paper into a lot of small pieces= strappare
think over
to consider an idea or plan carefully before making a decision
try out
to use something to discover if it works or if you like it
wear out
to make someone extremely tired (ex. walking around a museum all day really wears you out)
come out
- to becomes known publicly after it has been kept secret
- when the sun, moon, or stars appear in the sky
draw up
• to prepare something, usually something official, in writing (ex. I’ve drawn up a list of candidates that I’d like to interview)
• accostare (macchina)
fall out
- when a tooth or your hair separate from your mouth or head
- to argue with someone and stop being friendly with them
give in
to finally agree to what someone wants, after refusing for a period of time
look out
to watch what is happening and be careful= attenzione!
set in
when something unpleasant sets in, it begins and seems likely to continue in a serious way (ex. this rain looks as if it has set in for the rest of the day)
wear off
when a feeling or effect of something gradually disappears (ex. most patients find that the numbness from the injection wears off after about an hour)
back down
to admit that you were wrong or that you have been defeated (ex. eventually, Roberto backed down and apologized)
bear out
to support the truth of something
bring off
to succeed in doing something difficult (ex. it was an important event, and she’s managed to bring it off wonderfully)
carry off something
to succeed in doing or achieving something difficult (ex. she was nervous about giving a talk to her colleagues, but she carried it off very well)
come about
to happen, or start to happen
come down to
if a situation or decision comes down to something, that is the thing that influences it most (ex. it all comes down to money in the end)
come off
- to happen as planned (ex. the property deal came off!)
- to give a particular impression (ex. I didn’t want to come off like I was feeling sorry for myself)
come up
- to move towards someone (ex. a young girl came up to me and asked for money)
- venir fuori (problema)
come up to
to reach the usual or necessary standard= essere all’altezza di
crop up
to happen or appear, often unexpectedly (ex. new problems often crop up)
do away with
to get rid of something or stop using something (ex. these ridiculous rules and regulations should have been done away with years ago)
end up
to finally be in a particular place or situation
face up to
to accept that a difficult situation exists (ex. she’s going to have to face up to the fact that he’s not going to marry her)
fall back on
to use something, especially a form of financial support, when other things have failed (ex. when the business failed, we had to fall back on our savings)
fall for
- to completely believe something that someone tells you that is not true (ex. told him she needed the money for her baby and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker), to be fooled= caderci come un pero
- to have feelings for someone
follow up
to find out more about something, or take more action connected with it (ex. the idea sounded interesting and I decided to follow it up)
get at
to reach or obtain something, especially something that is difficult to get (ex. I’ve put the cake on a high shelf where he can’t get at it)
get someone down
when something makes you feel unhappy or depressed (ex. the chaos in his house was starting to get him down)
run down
- to criticize someone or something, often unfairly (ex. he’s always running himself down)
- to reduce a business or organization in size or importance (ex. the government is secretly running down the troop levels)
run to
- to look for help
- to share information
- to reach a particular amount, level, or size
run up against
to experience an unexpected difficulty
see off
to go to the place that someone is leaving from in order to say goodbye to them
see through
to realize that someone is trying to deceive you to get an advantage, or that someone’s behaviour is intended to deceive you, and to understand the truth about the situation (ex. they were very friendly, but it didn’t take long to see through them)
send up
to make someone or something seem stupid by copying him, her, or it in a funny way (ex. the show was very funny: they were sending up sports commentators)
give over
to stop doing something, usually something annoying (ex. oh give over, it’s not my fault!)
add up
to calculate the total of two or more numbers
bring on
to help someone to improve, especially through training or practice (ex. her new piano teacher has really brought her on)
call up
to order someone to join a military organization or to ask someone to join an official, especially national, team (ex. he was called up when the war began)
do up
to repair or decorate a building so that it looks attractive
fall out with
to argue with someone and stop being friendly with them (ex. he left home after falling out with his parents)
grow on
if someone or something grows on you, you like him/her/it more and more than you did at first (ex. I wasn’t sure about this album when I bought it, but it’s really grown on me)
have someone on
to persuade someone that something is true when it is not, usually as a joke (that’s your new car? you’re having me on!)
hit it off
to be friendly with each other immediately
hit on/upon
to think of an idea when you didn’t expect or intend to, especially one that solves a problem (ex. when we first hit on the idea, everyone told us it would never work)
hold out
to continue to defend yourself against an enemy or attack without being defeated (ex. they won’t be able to hold out much longer under this sort of bombardment)
hold with
to agree with an idea or an activity
keep up
to continue without stopping or changing, or to continue something without allowing it to stop or change (ex. keep up the good work!)
let off
to not punish someone who has committed a crime or done something wrong, or to not punish them severely
let on
to tell other people about something that you know, especially when it is a secret (ex. I suspect he knows more than he’s letting on)
live up to
to be as good as something (ex. the concert was brilliant, it lived up to all our expectations)= essere all’altezza
look into
to examine the facts about a problem or situation
look on
to watch something happen but not become involved in it (ex. a large crowd looked on as the band played)
make off with
to steal something
own up to
to admit that you have done something wrong (ex. no one has owned up to stealing the money)= confessare
play up
to emphasize a particular quality or part of something, or make it seem more important than it really is, usually for your own advantage
put across
to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them easily (ex. it’s an interesting idea and I thought he put it across well)
rip off
to cheat someone by making them pay too much money for something (ex. Bob’s tickets cost much less than ours: I think we’ve been ripped off)
set out
to give the details of something or to explain it, especially in writing, in a clear, organized way (ex. the board has set out its goals/plans/proposals for the coming year)
set up
to formally establish a new company, organization, system, way of working,…
sink in
if an unpleasant or surprising fact or idea sinks in, you gradually start to believe it, understand it, or realize the effect it will have on you= digerire una situazione
sort out
to deal successfully with a problem/situation/person who is having difficulties (ex. we’ve sorted out the computer system’s initial problems)
stand by
- to continue to support or help someone who is in a difficult situation
- to continue doing what you said you would when you made a decision, agreement, or promise
step up
- to take action when there is a need or opportunity for it
- to increase the size, amount, or speed of a process
stick up for
to support or defend someone or something, especially when that person or thing is being criticized= prendere le difese di
take in
to understand completely the meaning or importance of something
take out on
to treat someone badly because you are upset or angry, even if they have done nothing wrong (ex. I know you’ve had a bad day, but you don’t have to take it out on me!)= sfogarsi con qcn
take someone off
to copy the way a particular person speaks or behaves, or the way something is done= imitare
tell off
to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong= rimproverare
tie in with
to plan an event or activity so that it combines with or happens at the same time as another, or to be planned in this way (ex. we’re trying to tie our holiday in with Jamie’s business trip)
pass out
to become unconscious for a short time, for example when ill, badly hurt, or drunk
talk into
to persuade someone to do something
