Phrasal Verbs Flashcards
to make someone gradually stop depending on something that they like and have become used to, especially a drug or a bad habit
Slowly stop a dependency on something
**wean someone off something / **Wean off
We’re trying to wean ourselves off watching too much television.
We will have to WEAN him OFF his obsession.
To wean off coffee, I’m switching to tea.
reduce pressure or intensity
Ease off
he eased off the gas pedal and the car slowed down
She EASED OFF the accelerator to let the car slow down.
Ease off the gas or you’ll get ticketed.
Chide; talk angrily to someone about something they’ve done wrong.
Tell off
His fiancée TOLD him OFF for arriving nearly an hour late.
Cause something, usually unpleasant, to happen
to bring into being or action; activate or initiate
Spark off
to spark off an argument
The riot was SPARKED OFF by the police raid on the club.
Can we spark off a few holiday fireworks?
give insider information or advise to
Secretly inform the police or authorities
Tip off
The police arrested the drug dealer after someone TIPPED them OFF
He tipped off the police about the terrorist plot
You should tip off the cops about what you saw.
- Use something to your advantage
- Eat a food as part of an animals diet
Feed off
He FEEDS OFF people’s fear of crime to get them to support his proposals
The whole team can feed off the coach’s energy.
- To fill up (a container), especially when it is almost full to begin with.
- To finish up.
Top off
Always top off the tank before taking a long drive.
He complained for an hour and to TOP it OFF started shouting his head off
- Leave somewhere to go to another place
- Prevent something bad happening
- Stop someone or force them to change direction
Head off
- Leave somewhere to go to another place
1 - 1 When do you plan to head off?
- The company made a better offer to HEAD OFF the moves for a strike.
- Stop someone or force them to change direction
get rid of by sleeping
Sleep in order to recover from excess alcohol, drugs, etc.
sleep until you are sober, sleep until you feel normal
to sleep while the effects of drugs or alcohol wear off
to sleep until something stops having an effect on you She slept off the effects of the medicine.
**Sleep off / **sleep something off
She went to bed TO SLEEP OFF the effects of the tequila.
sleep off a hangover
“That medicine made me drowsy.” “Go to bed and sleep it off.”
Let’s leave him to sleep it off
He still sleeping off yesterday’s hangover
I’ll feel peachy if I can just sleep off this headache.
I’m polluted, I guesh. Have to get home and sleep it off.
Usage notes: often used in the form sleep it off: He’s got a terrible headache and probably needs to sleep it off.
to stop doing something
Knock off
I’m trying to study so knock off the chit-chat.
그만둬.
Knock it off.
집어치워.
Knock your head off!
- to decrease in intensity gradually
- to disappear or cause to disappear gradually through exposure, use, etc.
Wear off
the pain will wear off in an hour
the pattern on the ring had been worn off
I hope your enthusiasm doesn’t wear off
to manage to make something happen
to succeed in doing something difficult or unexpected
pull off something also pull something off
Yes, I can pull it off. Do you think you can pull off this deal?
The Bears need to pull off a miracle to win
He won five straight games and pulled off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets
a change downward
a noticeable deterioration in performance or quality
drop off
There was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided”
There was a sharp drop-off in sales
to get ready for an argument or a fight
square off (for something)
John was angry and appeared to be squaring off for a fight. When those two square off, everyone gets out of the way
I’m not afraid to square off against him.
One who shirks work or responsibility.
*shirks : To avoid work or duty.
goof off
You’re not supposed to goof off in class
