Advanced English Phrasal Verbs, Compound Expressions, and Idioms

Vocabulary practice cards focusing on English phrasal verbs, idioms, and compound expressions derived from the lecture notes.

Hold down

To hold something in place, or to manage to keep and maintain a job.

Standby

In a state of readiness; kept ready as an alternative or backup.

Letdown

A disappointment.

Onset

The start of something unpleasant.

Input

Information or contribution put in.

Overkill

Excessive force or effort.

Stowaway

A hidden passenger on a vehicle.

Stand-off

A failure to reach an agreement; a confrontation or impasse.

Toss-up

An equal chance situation where the outcome or choice is uncertain.

Off-putting

Making you dislike something; repellent or discouraging.

Watered-down

Made weaker or less extreme.

Fallback

An alternative plan for emergencies.

Pore over

To study or look at something carefully for a long time.

Riddled with

Full of something unpleasant or harmful.

Ease off/up

To become less severe, intense, or strong.

Keep in with

To maintain good relations with someone, especially to gain an advantage.

Hanker after

To have a strong desire for something; to yearn or long for.

Muck up

To ruin, spoil, or do very badly with something.

Ascribe to

To attribute to or explain as being caused by something.

Fall through

To collapse or fail at the last minute.

Gloss over

To minimize a problem or avoid dealing with difficult details.

Bail out

To rescue someone or something from difficulty.

Square up

To prepare for a confrontation, or to settle a dispute or account.

Boil down to

To essentially mean; to have as the fundamental or primary point.

Throw the baby out with the bathwater

To get rid of the good along with the bad when trying to eliminate problems.

Take the sting out of

To reduce the unpleasantness or impact of something negative.

Cut off nose to spite face

To act in anger and end up causing problems for yourself.

Pull out all the stops

To make every possible effort to achieve something.

Skirt around

To avoid discussing a difficult subject directly.

Potter about

To spend time doing small, unimportant things without hurrying; waste time idly.

Usher in

To mark the beginning of something new or notable.

Cash in on

To make money or gain an unfair advantage from a situation.

Factor in

To include or consider something when making plans or calculations.

Work off

To get rid of a feeling (often unpleasant) by doing something energetic.

Cordon off

To close off or surround an area with a barrier or police tape.

Ticking off

Telling someone that you are angry with them because they have done something wrong; a reprimand.

Hinge on

To depend completely on something.

Spring on

To surprise someone unexpectedly with news, questions, or demands.

Shore up

To strengthen or support an economy, system, or organization.

Jazz up

To embellish, brighten up, or make something more lively and interesting.

Lash out at

To violently attack someone with angry words, criticism, or blows.

Pick up on

To notice, grasp, or pay special attention to something.

Come in for

To receive criticism or praise.

Come up against

To encounter or face a difficult problem or obstacle.

Get away with murder

To do whatever one wishes without facing punishment or consequences.

Get off the ground

To successfully start or make progress from a beginning stage.

Go back over

To examine, reconsider, or check something again carefully.

Take aback

To surprise, shock, or catch someone completely off guard.

Intake

A number of people accepted or admitted into an institution or program (e.g., students).

Keep back

To withhold, suppress, or restrain emotions or confidential information.

Keep down

To keep at a low level, such as not increasing sound volume.

Keep to

To stick to or stay focused on a specific topic or rule.