This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Health, Body & Physical Condition. At Proficiency you must distinguish particles that change meaning subtly and match register across formal and informal contexts. Complete the runner, then use the glossary below to consolidate each verb. Detailed explanations appear in Review mode once you finish the set.
face up to sth
to accept that a difficult or unpleasant situation exists
He had to face up to the fact that he needed surgery.
leave off (sth/doing sth)
to stop, or to stop doing something
The doctor told her to leave off running for a week.
fold up
to collapse physically because of weakness, pain, or exhaustion
The exhausted runner’s legs folded up beneath him.
waste away
to gradually get thinner and weaker, usually because of illness
Without proper food, the patient began to waste away.
prey on sth
to catch for food
The virus preys on people with weak immune systems.
roll (sb/sth) over
to turn from lying on one side of your body to the other side, or to make someone or something turn from one side to the other
The nurse rolled the patient over to check his back.
pick up
if the wind picks up, it becomes stronger
She picked up a cold from someone at the gym.
go down
if part of your body that is bigger than usual because of an illness or injury goes down, it starts to return to its usual size
The swelling went down after she applied ice.
break out in/into sth
if you break out in a sweat, it suddenly appears on your skin
He broke out in a sweat during the workout.
keep out of sth
to not become involved in something
Keep out of direct sunlight while the skin is healing.
eat away at sth
to gradually destroy something by continuously damaging it or taking little parts of it away
The infection was slowly eating away at the bone.
stick up
if part of something sticks up, it comes up above the surface of something, or it points upwards
His ears stick up slightly, which makes him easy to recognise.
come out in sth
to develop a rash, spots, or another visible skin condition
She came out in a rash after eating the nuts.
bring on sth
to cause an illness, symptom, or unpleasant condition
Cold air can bring on an asthma attack.
get over sth
to feel better after having an illness
It took her two weeks to get over the flu.
pick up sth or pick sth up
to get an infectious illness from someone or something
After a long rest, he picked up enough strength to walk again.
thaw out
if someone thaws out, they become warmer after they have been outside and have got very cold
The hikers thawed out slowly after walking in the snow.
be down with sth
to be ill with a particular disease or infection
Several runners were down with flu and missed the race.
clear up
if an illness clears up, or if medicine clears an illness up, the illness goes away
The rash should clear up within a few days.
flare up
if a disease that you had before flares up, you suddenly get it again
Her old knee injury flared up after the hike.
huddle up
to move closer to other people, or to hold your arms and legs close to your body, usually because you are cold or frightened
The runners huddled up to stay warm after the race.
come off sth
to stop using medicine or drugs
The plaster came off after the wound had healed.
put sb on sth
to give someone a particular type of medical treatment or food
The doctor put him on a short course of antibiotics.
go around (swh)
if an illness goes around, a lot of people get it
A stomach bug is going around the school.
head off swh
to begin a journey or to leave
She headed off to the clinic when the pain became severe.
bend down
to move the top part of your body towards the ground
Bend down slowly to protect your back.
curl up
to lie or sit with your back curved and your knees close to your stomach
The patient curled up with stomach pain.
heal up
if a wound heals over, new skin grows over it
The cut healed up without leaving a scar.
warm up
to prepare your body muscles for a physical activity by stretching and doing simple exercises
Always warm up before intense exercise.
tense up
if you tense up or your muscles tense up, your muscles stiffen because you are not relaxed
Try not to tense up when the dentist examines you.