25 Stunningly Beautiful Advanced Phrasal Verbs - English Vocabulary Lesson (+ Free PDF & Quiz)

(relaxing music)

- Hello everyone, and welcome back to English with Lucy.

Today, I have got 25 stunningly beautiful

advanced phrasal verbs for you.

These phrasal verbs are going to help you expand

and build your vocabulary.

I've chosen them because they have beautiful meanings,

or they sound beautiful, or they might just

be really fun to say.

Before we get started,

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Right, let's get started

with our 25 stunningly beautiful advanced phrasal verbs.

I can't believe that came out perfectly all at once.

Number one is to crow about something.

To crow about something.

This means to brag about something,

or to boast excessively about something.

For example, I wish Amanda would stop crowing

about her promotion.

I wanted that position.

Number two is to fawn over.

To fawn over something.

We're going with the animal theme, to begin with. (laughs)

This means to flatter someone excessively.

To be too over the top with them,

give them too many compliments.

For example, stop fawning over my grandmother.

You are embarrassing me!

Number three is to bounce something off someone.

To bounce off, to bounce something off.

You'll notice that the something can go between bounce

and off, the verb and the preposition.

This is because it's a separable phrasal verb,

and I've highlighted which ones are separable in the list.

To bounce something off someone means

to talk about something, usually an idea,

in order to receive feedback or opinions.

This is a common business term, more than anything else.

For example, I'd like to take you out for lunch

and bounce a few ideas off you.

We're in the final stages of planning a big campaign.

Number four is another separable one.

It's to mull something over.

To mull over.

This means to think deeply and seriously about something,

to really consider something.

For example, I can't decide which university to choose.

I'm going to spend the weekend mulling over my options.

Number five, I love this one.

This is to plod along.

To plod along.

Now, the verb, to plod, means

to walk laboriously or heavily.

To plod along means to progress,

it doesn't necessarily mean to walk,

to progress at a slow but steady rate.

For example, Sheila is still plodding along

with her latest attempt at a romance novel.

She's taking it very slowly, but making steady progress.

Number six is to keep something up.

To keep something up.

This means to continue or maintain a course of action.

This is often used as a motivational phrase.

Keep it up, keep up the good work.

Maintain your course of good action. (laughs)

For example, she's been working so hard on her course,

I hope she can keep it up.

Number seven is to figure something out.

To figure something out.

This means to solve or discover the source of a problem.

For example, I just need to figure out why my hot tap

is cold, and my cold tap is hot.

This is a problem, this has happened to me in the past.

Number eight is to see something or somebody off.

To see something off.

This has two meanings that we're going to discuss.

The first meaning relates more to somebody.

To see somebody off.

It means to go to the place that somebody is leaving from,

in order to say goodbye to them.

For example, I'll come to the port

to see you all off on the cruise ship.

The next meaning works well with both someone and something.

It means to defeat someone or something.

Or to deal with them effectively,

so that they can do no more harm or damage.

For example, Oh don't worry about my horrible aunt coming

to my wedding, I'll see her off.

I'll deal with her, get rid of her.

It can be used in slang.

It's often used to talk about alcoholic drinks

or bad substances.

Or maybe a naughty dessert, or unhealthy food.

Something that's seen as a treat.

And it basically means to finish it,

but we're kind of implying to defeat it

'cause it's such a bad thing.

For example, would you like me

to help you see off that last bottle of wine?

Number nine is to bash something in.

To bash something in.

This means to strike and dent, or damage something.

For example, your stray cricket ball bashed

in my Mini Cooper.

That's not true, but it did happen to my mom.

She once parked her car next to a cricket pitch,

only for five minutes,

and it was bashed in when we returned to it.

Number 10 is to call something off.

To call something off.

This means to cancel an event or an agreement.

For example, if I behave badly enough,

William might have to call off the wedding.

I always manage to mention my wedding in every single video.

There's still a year to go, you know.

It's gonna be a long year, for you and for me.

Number 11 is to do something up.

To do something up.

This means to repair or decorate a building,

so that it looks attractive.

For example, we are hoping to buy a derelict house

and do it up.

It can also mean to fasten something,

usually clothing or jewellery.

For example, could you help me do up my dress?

It appears to have shrunk.

Number 12 is to muster up.

To muster up.

It can be separable as well.

To muster something up.

This means to gather or bring together.

For example, I'll see if I can muster up the courage

to talk to my horrible boss.

Number 13 is to gobble something up.

To gobble something up.

This means to use a lot of something very quickly.

It usually refers to eating.

For example, you must've been hungry.

You've gobbled up half of my popcorn too.

Looking at no one, William.

Number 14 is to face up to.

To face up to.

This means to accept that a difficult situation exists.

For example, wedding talk incoming.

She'll have to face up to the fact that peonies

aren't in season for her September wedding.

Can we have a moment of silence, please?

I love peonies. (sighs)

I'm going to go and view flowers with my mom tomorrow,

so we'll see what we can find.

Number 15 is to stick up for.

To stick up for.

This means to support or defend something or someone,

especially when they are being criticised.

For example, I don't need your support.

I can stick up for myself!

Number 16 is to weed out.

To weed out.

This can also be separable, but it's not as common.

To weed something out.

Yeah, you can do that.

This means to remove people or things from a group.

For example, our wedding invitation list is too long,

we're going to have to weed some people out.

Number 17 is to run something by someone.

To run something by.

This means to tell someone about a plan or an idea,

so that they can give you their feedback and opinions.

For example, Have you run this by David?

I think he'll like it.

Number 18 is to stock up on.

To stock up on.

To stock up on. (laughs)

This means to buy a large amount of something,

so that you have enough for the future.

My example, believe it or not, is true.

I listened to a radio programme about this the other day.

May Brits are stocking up on toilet roll

in preparation for Brexit.

(laughs) This is true.

Toilet paper sales have increased,

both times that we've come up to the deadline of Brexit.

We've had multiple deadlines.

But yeah, toilet roll sales increased (laughs),

which I love.

I'm sure there's a very valid and sensible reason

behind this, but I like to think that people

are going to the toilet more, because they're so nervous.

(laughs)

Number 19 is to harp on about.

To harp on about.

This means to talk or complain about something many times.

For example, can you stop harping

on about how great Miranda looked at the party?

Number 20 is two crank something out.

To crank something out.

This means to produce something in large amounts,

like a machine does.

For example, how on earth did I manage

to crank out 25 stunningly beautiful advanced phrasal verbs?

I said it again.

Number 21 is to grass on.

To grass on.

And this, I mean the meaning isn't necessarily beautiful.

It's quite a disloyal thing to do, but it means

to tell the police, or someone in a position

of authority, about something bad that someone has done.

For example, I can't believe that Mary grassed

on Bob to the police about his illegal chicken farm.

Big issues in the farming community these days, grassers.

Number 22 is to lag behind.

To lag behind.

This means to move or happen at a slower pace

than someone or something else.

For example, I found maths really hard at school,

and I lagged behind most of my peers.

Number 23 is to build someone or something up.

To build something up.

This means to talk about something or someone

in a very positive way,

so that people are impressed with it, or them.

For example, they've built her up to be something

that she really isn't.

We can also build up someone's hopes.

This means to make someone think that something good

is going to happen when it probably isn't.

For example, I don't want to build up his hopes

if she isn't coming back.

Number 24 is to ask after.

To ask after.

This one is quite simple to understand.

It means to ask about someone, normally.

Can be something sometimes.

For example, oh, everyone was asking after you at the party.

I just thought I'd include it,

'cause I think it's nice when someone asks after you.

And it's also something we use a lot.

But you might think, why are you saying

after instead of about?

We just like to complicate things in English.

And the last stunningly beautiful advanced phrasal verb,

number 25, is to jot down.

To jot something down.

This means to write or note down very quickly and briefly.

For example, I highly suggest you jot down

these 25 stunningly beautiful advanced phrasal verbs.

(claps) Yes!

(laughs)

Right, that's it for today's lesson.

Your homework, as if you think I would forget about that.

There's always someone in the class,

who reminds the teacher that there's homework

when they've forgotten.

I used to be that person.

Your homework is to write five stunningly beautiful

advanced phrases, with five of these stunningly beautiful

advanced phrasal verbs.

Go, go, go.

Please do that in the comment section down below.

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I will see you soon for another lesson.

Muah.

For example, Sheila is still plodding along

with her latest attempt at a romance nobel.

Nobel (laughs).

Romance nobel.

For example, your cricket ball (laughs).

(upbeat music)