Emotions often dictate how we interact with the world, and expressing them clearly can enhance communication. This blog post introduces 20 phrasal verbs that help articulate a wide range of emotions effectively, providing a concise definition and an example sentence for each.
1. Cheer up
Meaning: Become happier
Example: She cheered up after hearing the good news.
2. Break down
Meaning: Start to cry
Example: He broke down during the farewell speech.
3. Calm down
Meaning: Relax after being angry
Example: You need to calm down before we talk.
4. Freak out
Meaning: React with strong emotion
Example: She freaked out when she won the lottery.
5. Warm up to
Meaning: Gradually like someone/something
Example: I’m warming up to my new colleagues.
6. Bottle up
Meaning: Suppress emotions
Example: He bottles up his feelings too much.
7. Lash out
Meaning: React angrily
Example: He lashed out at his critics.
8. Let down
Meaning: Disappoint someone
Example: I felt let down by my results.
9. Lighten up
Meaning: Become less serious
Example: You should lighten up and enjoy the party!
10. Crack up
Meaning: Laugh suddenly or loudly
Example: That joke made me crack up.
11. Hang on
Meaning: Wait or stop briefly
Example: Hang on, I need to catch my breath.
12. Wind up
Meaning: End up in a state
Example: I wound up feeling quite confused.
13. Blow up
Meaning: Lose temper explosively
Example: She blew up when she saw the mess.
14. Clam up
Meaning: Stop talking or refuse to talk
Example: He clammed up when questioned about the incident.
15. Act out
Meaning: Misbehave for attention
Example: The child acted out in class today.
16. Get over
Meaning: Recover from
Example: She got over her disappointment quickly.
17. Cool off
Meaning: Calm down or relax
Example: He went for a walk to cool off.
18. Break out
Meaning: Start suddenly
Example: Laughter broke out during the meeting.
19. Work up
Meaning: Develop gradually
Example: He worked himself up into a frenzy.
20. Keep up
Meaning: Continue at the same rate
Example: She keeps up her cheerful attitude.
