English for Students

English Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs are idiomatic expressions, combining verbs and prepositions to make new verbs whose meaning is often not obvious from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. They are widely used in both written and spoken English, and new ones are formed all the time as they are a flexible way of creating new terms.

A Phrasal Verb consists of a verb and a preposition or adverb that modifies or changes the meaning. Give up is such a verb that means stop doing something, which is very different from give. The word or words that modify a verb in this manner can also go under the name particle.

A reference page of 2,570 current English Phrasal Verbs (also called multi-word verbs) with definitions and examples is here.

Phrasal Verbs starting with G :

Ev

entually, I GAVE IN TO my anger and screamed at them.


Give it to: Criticize harshly or punish someone for something

They really GAVE IT TO me for forgetting to turn up.


Give it up for: Applaud

Please GIVE IT UP FOR our next guest.


Give it up to:Applaud

Please GIVE IT UP TO our next guest.


Give of:Contribute without expecting anything in return, usually time or money

He GIVES OF his free time to help the club.


Give off:

Emit pollution or something else unpleasant

The police stopped the van because it was GIVING OFF a lot of black smoke.


Behave in a way that makes people think of you in a certain way

She GIVES OFF an air of nobility.


Expand

The company is GIVING OFF all over the country.


Follow or take one of 2 or more branches (instructions, in machine code) in writing a computer program (using system software for a programming language)

A particular application of a processing code can be GIVEN OFF while requiring minimal run-time support.


Give onto:Open into a place, for a door or window

The French windows GIVE ONTO the lawn.


Give out:

Distribute

Somebody was GIVING leaflets OUT in front of the underground station.


Stop working, through age or overuse

I'd been having trouble with my laptop and it finally GAVE OUT at the weekend.


Have no more of a supply

The water GAVE OUT after a week in the desert.


Make public

They GAVE the names of the winners OUT last night.


Emit

The factory GIVES OUT a lot of fumes.


End or finish somewhere

The path GIVES OUT halfway around the lake.


Make a sound or noise

She GAVE OUT a moan.


Read the wordings of a hymn or psalm aloud for congregational singing

He GAVE OUT the psalm.


Give over:

Stop doing something bad or annoying

They were making a lot of noise so I told them to GIVE OVER.


Entrust, pass on responsibility

We've GIVEN the premises OVER to the new company.


Stop an activity

The police told the rioters to GIVE OVER.


Give over to:

Dedicate, devote

He GAVE himself OVER TO finding his son.


Transfer responsibility

After her death, they GAVE control of the estate OVER TO her niece.


Give over! :An expression of disbelief

They've doubled your salary- GIVE OVER!


Give up:

Stop doing something that has been a habit

I GAVE UP taking sugar in tea and coffee to lose weight.


Stop being friendly, end relationships

She GAVE UP all her school friends when she went to university.


Stop doing something

I have GIVEN UP trying to help them.


Surrender, stop trying

I can't think of the answer; I GIVE UP.


Sacrifice or dedicate time, etc, to something

I GAVE UP all my free time to the project.


Allow someone to sit in your chair, take your place, etc

I GAVE UP my seat to a pregnant woman.


Allow or give away a run while pitching (baseball)

He has GIVEN UP 14 earned runs in 14 innings.


Give up on:

Lose faith in or stop believing in something or someone

I GAVE UP ON them when I heard what they were saying about me behind my back.


Stop feeling hope

I have GIVEN UP ON them; they never do what they promise.


Give up to:Denounce, report to authorities

He GAVE his accomplices UP TO the police.


Give way:

Stop to allow vehicles to pass

You must GIVE WAY at this junction.


Collapse, break

The dam GAVE WAY when the floods rose.


Give way to:

Yield, surrender, retreat

Don't GIVE WAY TO your worst fears about this.


Relinquish position or ascendancy

Night GIVES WAY TO day.


Be replaced by something better, cheaper, more modern, etc

Cottage industries GAVE WAY TO the big companies.


Allow a vehicle to pass in front

You must GIVE WAY TO oncoming traffic.


Surrender to strong emotions

He GAVE WAY TO his anger and started screaming at them.


Give yourself up:Surrender to the police or authorities

The gang GAVE THEMSELVES UP last night.


Give yourself up to:Dedicate time, energy, etc, to something

He GAVE himself UP TO his job.


Gloss over: Try to minimize the importance of something

The Minister tried to GLOSS OVER the report that was critical of her department.


Gnaw at:

Trouble, worry or annoy someone

I know it was wrong and guilt has GNAWED AT me ever since I did it.


Harm gradually

The government's dishonesty has GNAWED AT people's trust in politicians.


Gnaw away at: Harm gradually

Their behavior GNAWED AWAY AT our trust in them.


Go about:

Deal with something

How should I GO ABOUT telling her the bad news?


Circulate

A rumor is GOING ABOUT involving the Attorney General.


Go across: Move to another side or place

He WENT ACROSS to the opposition.


Go after: Chase, try to get

The cat WENT AFTER the pigeon, but it flew away.


Go against: Lose a decision or a verdict of a court

If the decision GOES AGAINST me, I'll go bankrupt.


Go ahead: Proceed

The construction of the bypass WENT AHEAD despite the protests from environmentalists.


Go ahead with: Proceed

We now intend to GO AHEAD WITH the final stage of the project.


Go along with: Accept a decision or suggestion

I didn't really agree, but I WENT ALONG WITH the decision because I was in the minority.


Go around:

Circulate

A rumor is GOING AROUND about the Attorney General.


Be or have enough of something

There aren't enough jobs to GO AROUND for the numbers of people graduating nowadays.


Visit

I WENT AROUND for dinner at their house.


Go at: Attack or approach something with vigor

She WENT AT her dinner like she hadn't eaten for days.


Go away: Leave a place or disappear

This drug should make the pain GO AWAY.


Go back: Have a long history

He and I GO BACK a long way- we were at school together.


Go back on: Break a promise

The government has GONE BACK ON their promise not to raise taxes.


Go before: Precede

We can’t ignore what has GONE BEFORE and pretend that everything has been OK.


Go below: Leave the top deck of a ship

The captain told the passengers to GO BELOW when the storm started.


Go by:

The passing of time

Ten years WENT BY before we saw each other again.


Trust or depend on for correct information

Don't GO BY my watch; it's usually a bit slow.


Pay a short visit, call

Nobody was at home when I WENT BY yesterday.


Go down:

Decrease, get smaller

The price of scanners has GONE DOWN recently.


Sink

The Titanic WENT DOWN after it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage.


Sunset

The sun WENT DOWN at seven o'clock.


Be sent to prison

He WENT DOWN for ten years for armed robbery.


Become recorded as or known as

It WENT DOWN as the worst day in the history of the company.


Be eaten or swallowed

The medicine WENT DOWN easily.


Fall to the ground

The boxer WENT DOWN in the second round.


Happen, take place

The police thought that a big crime was GOING DOWN that night.


Stop working, especially computers

The computer system WENT DOWN for an hour last night.


Become dimmer

The lights WENT DOWN and the audience stopped talking.


Be received by people, in terms of their reaction

My joke WENT DOWN very badly.


Go down on: Perform oral sex

He WENT DOWN ON her.


Go down to: Be defeated

Chelsea WENT DOWN TO Arsenal in a thrilling game.


Go down with:

Fall ill

She WENT DOWN WITH a virus.


Find acceptance

Do you think the scheme will GO DOWN WITH the farmers in the area?


Go for:

Attack

The neighbor’s dog WENT FOR the postman and bit him.


Be attracted to

She tends to GO FOR guys like him.


Choose, select

I'll GO FOR the soup of the day, followed by the duck.


Try to get

The player WENT FOR the ball but missed.


Have something favorable

The play didn't have much GOING FOR IT and we left halfway through.


Pass for or serve as

It's a couch that also GOES FOR a bed.


Go forth:

Leave a place

He WENT FORTH and found a wife in another city.


Travel abroad, leave a place

They WENT FORTH to spread the word of the new religion.


Go forward:

Move clocks ahead

The clocks MOVE FORWARD an hour on Sunday.


Progress

The top three teams GO FORWARD to the next round.


Go in:

Go to hospital for treatment, surgery, etc.

He WENT IN for a triple bypass operation two days ago.


Fit

The cable GOES IN here.


Disappear, become obscured by a cloud

The sun has GONE IN.


Attack

The troops WENT IN at dawn.


Go in for:

Enter a competition or sit an exam

He WENT IN FOR the photography prize, but didn't win.


Support, advocate

I don't GO IN FOR the claims being made about blogging.


Like, have an interest in

He GOES IN FOR classical music.


Make a career choice

Have you thought about GOING IN FOR teaching?


Go in with:

Form a union or alliance

They're going to GO IN WITH the Social Democrats.


Join, enter

Ask the other to GO IN WITH them on the plan.


Go into:

Discuss in some detail

They refused to GO INTO exactly what was wrong.


Enter a profession, hospital, trade, market

She WENT INTO banking after she'd finished university.


Begin a speech or description

He WENT INTO a long attack on the way press had handled the issue.


Be dedicated or devoted

A lot of time and effort WENT INTO this book.


Be contained in a larger number

Five GOES INTO sixty 12 times.


Go it:

Behave in a reckless way

Shouting at the boss like that is GOING IT.


Move or drive very fast

After the traffic jam, he really WENT IT to make up time.


Go it alone: Do something without help

He prefers to GO IT ALONE rather then working with the team.


Go off:

Explode (bomb), start ringing (alarm)

The fire alarm WENT OFF because someone was smoking in the toilets.


Go bad

The milk WENT OFF because I forgot to put it in the fridge.


Start to dislike

I WENT OFF her when she lied to me.


Leave a place

Please don't GO OFF until we have sorted this out.


Take place, follow a plan or pattern

The party WENT OFF well.


Stop working (electric/electronic equipment)

The lights GO OFF automatically when the office is empty.


Go off with:

Elope, run away with someone

She WENT OFF WITH her friend's husband.


Steal

He WENT OFF WITH my credit cards.


Go on:

Continue

He WENT ON and ON talking and I was so bored.


Happen

There are loads of people out in the street; what's GOING ON?


Start doing or taking something

She WENT ON the pill when she met him.


Be guided

The investigators have no clues to GO ON.


Be nearly a certain period of time

It's GOING ON ten years since we met.


Progress

They asked me how the project was GOING ON.


Spend money

Most of my salary GOES ON my mortgage repayments.


Start working (electric/electronic equipment)

The alarm GOES ON when you close the front door.


Go on about: Talk too much

He's always GOING ON ABOUT his kids.


Go on at: Pester; try to make someone do something by repeatedly asking or suggesting

He WENT ON AT his parents until they bought him the game.


Go on to: Proceed

We had dinner and WENT ON TO a few bars.


Go on with: Continue doing

Please GO ON WITH your work.


Go on! : A way of encouraging someone

GO ON! Apply for the job.


Go out:

Stop burning, be extinguished

The candle WENT OUT and left us in darkness.


Leave a place

He WENT OUT last night.


Go on strike

The workers WENT OUT for more money.


Become unfashionable

That sort of tie WENT OUT last year.


Move backwards, of a tide

The tide GOES OUT in the evening.


Be eliminated in a competition

England WENT OUT in the second round.


Be transmitted

The item WENT OUT on the news yesterday.


Be sent

The newsletter WENT OUT last night.


Intend

I didn't GO OUT to offend them.


Go out for: Become a candidate, apply for something

She WENT OUT FOR a place on the team.


Go out to: Feel sympathy with someone

Our condolences GO OUT TO all the families who have lost people in this tragic accident.


Go out with: Have a relationship with

He's been GOING OUT WITH his girlfriend for around six months now.


Go over:

Look at something, revise

We WENT OVER our notes before the exam.


Visit

I hadn't seen her for a while, so I WENT OVER on Friday night.


Be approved or accepted

My plans WENT OVER well.


Repeat or explain

Could you GO OVER that point again, please?


Clean

I WENT OVER the living room with the vacuum cleaner before they arrived.


Go over to:

Go on a journey

I'm GOING OVER TO Hong Kong next month.


Become converted

She WENT OVER TO Islam when she was living in the Middle East.


Change to something different

I used to drink beer but I have GONE OVER TO wine.


Go past: Pass without stopping

She WENT PAST me without saying hello.


Go round:

Be or have enough of something

There aren't enough jobs to GO ROUND for the numbers of people graduating nowadays.


Circulate

There's a nasty rumor GOING ROUND about them.


Visit

I WENT ROUND last night to see them.


Go through:

Experience

You wouldn't believe what I WENT THROUGH when I was ill!


Read again

I WENT THROUGH my notes before the exam.


Examine, search

I WENT THROUGH my desk looking for the letter.


Do something in a certain way or following certain procedures

You must GO THROUGH the proper channels to get the approval.


Explain

He WENT THROUGH his ideas twice but I couldn't really understand them.


Be approved formally or sanctioned

My divorce WENT THROUGH last week.


Enter

They said I could GO THROUGH the exam room.


Consume or spend

We WENT THROUGH a fortune on our holiday.


Perform or carry something out

I WENT THROUGH my work in a daze after I heard the news.


Go through with: Do or complete something you've agreed to

He did promise, but I doubt that he'll GO THROUGH WITH it.


Go together: Harmonize or be compatible

Drinking and driving don't GO TOGETHER.


Go towards: Contribute

The money WENT TOWARDS my university fees.


Go under:

Go bankrupt

Many small shops are GOING UNDER because they cannot compete with the supermarkets.


Lose consciousness

She WENT UNDER a few minutes after they administered the anesthetic.


Sink

The ship WENT UNDER in a heavy storm.


Go up:

Rise or climb

The price of petrol has GONE UP sharply because of the increase in duty in the Government's budget.


Approach

We WENT UP and asked them for some information about the courses.


Be built

Skyscrapers are GOING UP everywhere in the city centre.


Be heard

A huge cheer WENT UP when the president arrived.


Be promoted

The top three teams GO UP at the end of the season.


Go up to:

Approach

She WENT UP TO him and asked him if he wanted a drink.


Attend a university

She WENT UP TO Cambridge after she finished secondary school.


Reach

The book only GOES UP TO the start of the Second World War.


Go with:

Combine nicely

Does this tie GO WITH my shirt?


Accompany

A lot of benefits GO WITH the job.


Accept, agree to

We're GOING WITH our original plan in the end.


Date, have a relationship with

She's been GOING WITH him since she was at university.


Go without:

Not have

I had to GO WITHOUT lunch today because I didn't have any time.


Cope without having something

They're not coming, so we'll have to GO WITHOUT their help.


Goof around: Fool around, not be serious

We spent the weekend GOOFING AROUND.


Goof off: Avoid or leave work

We GOOFED OFF for the afternoon to watch the match.


Goof up: Mess, spoil

They GOOFED UP our plans.


Grass on: Report someone to a person in authority

He GRASSED ON us and got us into a lot of trouble.


Grass up: Report someone to a person in authority

She didn't to GRASS them UP, even though they'd been bullying her badly.


Grey out: Disable a function in a computer program, leaving it visible but not working

They GREYED OUT the print button to stop people using it. (In American English, 'gray' would be used.)


Grind away: Keep working at something

Although I hated it, I GROUND AWAY until I had finished.


Grind down: Reduce or destroy someone's enthusiasm

Their negativity GRINDS me DOWN.


Grind into: Press or twist something hard into something else

She GROUND her cigarette INTO the ashtray.


Grind on:

Proceed relentlessly

The war GROUND ON for years.


Talk endlessly

He was still GRINDING ON about football when we left.


Grind out: Produce something with great difficulty

I find it very hard to GRIND OUT an original essay every week.


Grind up: Reduce to small pieces

She GROUND the beans UP and made some coffee.


Grow apart: Become distant; stop having a close relationship because time, distance, interests, etc, have changed

We used to be good friends at school but have since GROWN APART.


Grow away from: Become less friendly with

I have GROWN AWAY FROM many of the people I grew up with.


Grow back: Grow again

Nails GROW BACK quickly after you cut them.


Grow from: Result from a process

A lot GREW FROM the peace talks.


Grow into:

Grow to fit large clothes

The jacket's a bit big, but she'll GROW INTO it.


Mature or change into

She's has GROWN INTO a lovely person.


Develop or change over time to fit something

It may seem difficult at first, but you will GROW INTO the job.


Grow on:

Like something that you didn't like at first

The painting has GROWN ON me; I used to eat it.


Have a greater influence or degree of acceptance

The plans sounded strange at first, but they have GROWN ON me.


Become gradually more evident

A feeling of distrust of them GREW ON me.


Grow out: Let hair, etc, with dyes, perms grow to get rid of the style

I'm letting the perm GROW OUT.


Grow out of:

Grow too large for clothes

He GREW OUT OF those shoes in no time at all.


Lose interest as you grow older or become more mature

He was obsessed with computer games but the he GREW OUT OF them.


Result or develop from

The idea for the film GREW OUT OF an accident that happened to the director.


Grow to: Eventually do something

We GREW TO like the neighborhood.


Grow together: Gradually become attached, united or close

We GREW TOGETHER while we were working on the same project.


Grow up:

Mature, become adult

He GREW UP in the West Country.


Arise, emerge

The industry GREW UP very quickly.


Develop in a place or for a reason (city, town, etc)

The town GREW UP as a trading post.


Rear a child

She GREW me UP to be polite at all times.


Grow up on: Do or have something when you are a child

We GREW UP ON cartoons.


Grow upon:

Like something that you didn't like at first

The book started slowly and was a bit dull, but it has GROWN UPON me.


Have a greater influence or degree of acceptance

As we got nearer the date of the meeting, their idea GREW UPON me.


Become gradually more evident

A feeling of distrust of them GREW UPON me.


Gun for: Try to destroy an opponent

He's GUNNING FOR his rivals at work.


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