Vocabulary for IELTS (General) - Phrasal Verbs

Here you will learn some English words about phrasal verbs, such as "bone up", "look into", "rule out", etc. that are needed for the IELTS exam.

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to look forward to [verb]

to wait with satisfaction for something to happen

Ex: I always look forward to the holidays , especially the festive atmosphere and delicious meals .

to cheer up [verb]

to feel happy and satisfied

Ex: The atmosphere at the party started to cheer up as more people arrived .

to put up with [verb]

to tolerate something or someone unpleasant, often without complaining

Ex: Friends put up with each other 's quirks and differences to maintain strong relationships .

to let down [verb]

to make someone disappointed by not meeting their expectations

Ex:

to break up [verb]

to put an end to a gathering and cause people to go in different directions

Ex: The police were called to break up the large crowd that had gathered for the unpermitted street event .

to fall out [verb]

to no longer be friends with someone as a result of an argument

Ex: The siblings tended to fall out occasionally , but they always reconciled in the end .

to cut down [verb]

to reduce the amount, size, or number of something

Ex: Facing a tight schedule , she had to cut down the length of her presentation .

to come across [verb]

to discover, meet, or find someone or something by accident

Ex: I was browsing through a bookstore when I came across a novel that caught my attention .

to pay off [verb]

(of a plan or action) to succeed and have good results

Ex: His dedication to training paid off when he won the gold medal .

to pick up [verb]

to notice something, such as a sense, sign, etc.

Ex: My dog picked up the scent of another animal in the backyard .

to set off [verb]

to make something operate, especially by accident

Ex: He accidentally set off the fire alarm when he burnt toast in the office kitchen .

to embark on [verb]

to start a significant or challenging course of action or journey

Ex: After securing funding , the organization embarked on a mission to build schools in remote areas .

to break down [verb]

(of a machine or vehicle) to stop working as a result of a malfunction

Ex: The printer suddenly broke down , causing a delay in printing documents .

to look into [verb]

to investigate or explore something in order to gather information or understand it better

Ex: The reporter is looking into the allegations of corruption within the company .

to map out [verb]

to plan or arrange something in a careful and detailed way

to talk into [verb]

to convince someone to do something they do not want to do

Ex:

to talk out of [verb]

to advise someone against doing something

Ex:

to give up [verb]

to stop trying when faced with failures or difficulties

Ex: The team was losing , but they did n't give up , and their determination led to a comeback victory .

to brush up [verb]

to practice and improve skills or knowledge that one has learned in the past

Ex: Students often brush up on math concepts before final exams .

to end up [verb]

to eventually reach or find oneself in a particular place, situation, or condition, often unexpectedly or as a result of circumstances

Ex: After several detours , we ended up at the beautiful hidden beach we had heard about .

to bone up [verb]

to study or prepare intensively for something

Ex: He 's boning up for the big presentation tomorrow .

to do away with [verb]

to stop using or having something

Ex: The school board voted to do away with the traditional grading system in favor of a more comprehensive approach .

to figure out [verb]

to find the answer to a question or problem

Ex: It took some time , but he was able to figure out how to operate the new software .

to make up [verb]

to create something by combining together different parts or ingredients

Ex: The teacher made up the lesson plan from different activities and materials .

to account for [verb]

to serve as the reason for a particular occurrence or outcome

Ex: Lack of proper communication may account for the team 's mismanagement of the project .

to bring up [verb]

to mention a particular subject

Ex:

to come about [verb]

to happen, often unexpectedly

Ex: The error in the report came about due to a miscommunication .

to get across [verb]

to be clearly understood or communicated

Ex: The speaker used simple language to ensure her message got across .

to narrow down [verb]

to decrease the number of possibilities or choices

Ex:

to rule out [verb]

to prevent something from occurring or someone from doing something

Ex: The safety measures put in place helped rule out accidents on the construction site .

to turn out [verb]

to emerge as a particular outcome

Ex:

to turn down [verb]

to decline an invitation, request, or offer

Ex:

to carry on [verb]

to continue talking

Ex: They carried on about the movie for hours after it ended .

to fall behind [verb]

to fail to keep up in work, studies, or performance

Ex: We risk falling behind other nations in green tech .

to face up to [verb]

to confront and deal with a difficult or unpleasant situation directly and courageously

Ex:

to count on [verb]

to put trust in something or someone

Ex: Employees count on the stability of their jobs to meet their financial needs .

to die out [verb]

to completely disappear or cease to exist

Ex: The ancient language has sadly died out over the centuries .

to leave out [verb]

to intentionally exclude someone or something

Ex: The scientist left out a key variable from the experiment , invalidating the results .

to get through [verb]

to successfully complete a task

Ex: I have a stack of paperwork on my desk , and I need to get through it all today .

to put down [verb]

to land an aircraft, especially in case of emergency

Ex: Sensing a problem with the landing gear , the pilot decided to put down immediately .

to abide by [verb]

to follow the rules, commands, or wishes of someone, showing compliance to their authority

Ex: Children should learn to abide by their parents ' guidance and rules .

Vocabulary for IELTS (General)
Communication	Art	Music	Literature
Movie and Theater	The Media	Argument and Agreement	Certainty and Uncertainty
Expressing an Opinion	Advice and Suggestion	Making a Decision	Sickness and Health
Cause and Effect	Success and Failure	Education	Space
Money	Business	The environment	Likes and Dislikes
Persuasion and Involvement	Similarity and Difference	Signposting	Problems and Solutions
Being in Charge	Talking about Senses	Possession	Talking about Change
Talking about Events and Incidents	Lifestyles	Tourism	The Planet Earth
Phrasal Verbs