Idioms: Phrasal Verbs
Idiom is a phrase or expression whose total meaning differs from the meaning of the individual words. For example, to blow one’s top (get angry) and under the weather (not in good health) are English-language idioms.
Idioms come from language usage and generally cannot be translated literally (word for word). Foreign language students must learn them just as they would learn vocabulary words.
The term idiom may also refer to the conventional way of joining words to express a particular idea.
Often in English, specific prepositions must follow certain verbs or adverbs. We say unequal to and to become of.
Also, the expressions run out of, run into, run from, run over, and run up may mean something different from simple directions. The use of such idioms may vary between different dialects within one language.
- Act up, Add up, Ask out
- Back up, Break down, Break in
- Break up bring back call off care for
- Check in come across drag on drop off
- Cheer up, Come to, Drag on, Drop off
- Drop by, Draw out, Eat out, Figure out
- End Up, Face Up To, Fill in, Find out
- Get across, Get around, Get by, Get off
- Get rid of, Give up, Go out, Grow up
- Hand in hang around hold up keep on
- Have fun, Iron out, Jump all over
- Keep an eye keep out kick off lay off
- Kick off, Knock out, Lay off, Let off
- Look like luck out make it make fun of
- Make for make like make up mark up
- Pass off pick out pull apart pull down
- Push aside put off round off run out of
- Show off stand out take away take off
- Take over throw away try on try out
- Turn away turn over wait for wake up
- Wear out wrap up write down zero in
