PHRASAL VERBS / IDIOMS

- be a far cry from – be very different to

- be as right as rain – be perfectly fit and well
- be drawn to – be attracted to
- be geared towards – be aimed at
- be hooked on something – find something so interesting or enjoyable that you want to
do it all the time
- be in the mood for something / to do something – to feel like doing or having
something
- be keen on something – be very interested, eager or wanting (to do) something very
much
- be long gone – have disappeared a long time ago
- be on a roll – have a successful period
- be snowed under with – be overwhelmed with a very large quantity of something,
especially work
- be struck by something – if you are struck by something it seems interesting or
impressive to you
- be taken aback – be surprised, be shocked
- be up and about – feel well enough to get out of bed and move around
- be up to someone – be somebody’s right to decide / be someone’s responsibility or
duty
- be used / accustomed to doing something – be familiar with something because you
have done it or experienced it many times before
- be worth doing / having something – to be important or useful to have or do
- beat the odds – succeed even though there is little chance of doing so
- blot out – make you completely ignore or forget
- blow up – explode / lose one’s temper
- break into – enter or open a place, vehicle, or container forcibly, especially for the
purposes of theft
- bring up – to care for a child until it is an adult
- call off – to decide that a planned event will not happen
- can’t be bothered to do something - be unwilling to make the effort needed to do
something.
- carry on – continue
- carry out (instructions, orders, a threat etc.) – put a threat, promise, or order into
action
- carry out (research, a study etc.) - perform a task
- catch on to something – understand
- cater for – provide a particular group of people with the things they need or want
- choose your words carefully – think carefully about what to say
- come across – meet or find someone or something by chance
- come in handy – be useful
- come up with (a plan, an idea etc.) – to suggest or think of an idea or plan
- cost an arm and a leg – be extremely expensive
- cut down on something – reduce the size, amount, or quantity of something
- deal with – to take action in order to achieve something or in order to solve a problem
- dig into – find out about
- drop in on – make an informal visit without an appointment
- enter for – put your name on the list of people taking part in something
- exert control over – make an effort to have control
- face up to – to accept that a difficult situation exists and is something you must deal
with
- feel like doing something – be inclined to have or do something
- get away with something – to succeed in avoiding punishment for something
- get into difficulties – get into a difficult situation
- get off to a good / bad start – be successful / unsuccessful in the early stages of
something
- get on someone’s nerves – annoy someone a lot
- get on well with – be friendly with someone
- get over (an illness, a problem) - recover from an ailment or an upsetting or startling
experience
- get pleasure from doing something – enjoy doing something very much
- get rid of someone / something – to remove something that you do not want any
longer
- get something out of someone – to obtain something (esp. money or information)
from someone by force or persuasion
- get your finger in many pies – to have too many responsibilities or be involved in too
many tasks to be effective
- give / land someone a hand – help someone
- give someone a lift – to drive someone to a particular location
- give way to – be replaced by
- hand in – give something to a person in authority for their attention
- hang out with – spend time with socially
- have a (quick) word with – to talk with someone briefly
- have eyes only for someone – be interested in or attracted to only one person
- have no intention of doing something – not plan or want to (do something)
- have not got a clue – have no idea
- have nothing to do with – have no contact or dealings with
- have trouble doing something – to find it difficult to do
- head out – set off
- keep an eye on someone - keep under careful observation
- key in – to enter (numbers or information)
- kick in – begin to have an effect
- line up – move objects to make them fit correctly
- live up to someone’s expectations – to be as good as or have the qualities that
someone predicted, expected or hoped for
- look back on – think of the past
- look down on - regard someone with a feeling of superiority
- look forward to doing something – to feel pleased and excited about something that
is going to happen
- look into – investigate something
- look something up – search for and find a piece of information in a book or database
- look through – examine
- make sense - be intelligible, justifiable, or practicable
- make someone worth your while – to make someone benefit you
- make up one’s mind – make a decision; decide
- mistake someone / something for – to think someone is a different person
- peer in – look at closely from outside
- pull at your heartstrings – make you feel sympathy
- put / write one’s name down - to write down a person's name on a list of people (to
be included in something); to include someone among the people who will
participate in something
- put a foot wrong – make a mistake
- put off – to make you dislike something or not want to do something
- put off something - to delay or move an activity to a later time
- put someone at his / her ease – to make someone feel comfortable
- put someone off – to discourage someone from doing something or from liking
someone or something
- put someone up – to provide someone with a place to stay temporarily
- put the blame on – to blame someone or something; to assign a bad outcome to
someone or something
- put up with something - tolerate or endure something
- run out of something - (of a supply of something) be used up
- run the risk of – expose oneself to the possibility of something unpleasant occurring
- see through something / someone - to recognize that something is not true and not
be tricked by it
- seize de day – enjoy the moment
- set off – begin a journey
- set your sights – aim for
- spring up - appear suddenly, start to exist suddenly
- stand out as – to be very noticeable
- take account of something - to consider or include particular facts or details when
making a decision or judgment about something
- take after someone – resemble a parent or ancestor
- take hold – begin to be important
- take interest in something – be interested in something
- take over – assume control of something
- take part in – join in an activity; be involved
- take pleasure in doing something - derive happiness or enjoyment from
- take pride in – to be proud of someone or something
- take something into account - to consider or include particular facts or details when
making a decision or judgment about something
- take to another level – make even better
- take to something – like and learn a new skill
- take up – start a hobby, an activity
- talk someone into something – persuade someone to do something
- talk someone out of doing something – to discourage someone from doing something
- talk through – discuss something thoroughly / to help (someone) understand or do
something by explaining its steps in a careful way
- tell someone off – to tell someone that the person has done something wrong and that
you are angry about it
- think highly of – admire and respect someone a lot
- tie down – restrict
- to come as no surprise – to be expected
- to turn / show up - arrive for an appointment or gathering
- turn down – refuse an offer or request
- warm to someone / something – become enthusiastic about; begin to like someone or
something
- work out – realise
- work up the nerve – find courage