This lesson covers 30 C2 phrasal verbs on Character & Behaviour. 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.
clean up your act
to start to behave better
After the complaint, he promised to clean up his act.
cut off (from) swh
to be in a separate space or area and unable to communicate with people in a different space or area
After moving abroad, he felt cut off from his old friends.
couldn’t ask for sb/sth
if you say that you couldn’t ask for someone or something better, you mean that that person or thing is the best of their kind
You could not ask for a more considerate neighbour.
screw up sb or screw sb up
informal to make someone feel confused or unhappy about themselves and their life
Constant criticism can screw a person up emotionally.
be getting on
informal if someone is getting on, they are old
Her grandfather is getting on now, but he remains very independent.
pride yourself on sth/doing sth
(always reflexive) to be proud of a quality you have or of something you do
She prides herself on treating everyone fairly.
get on like a house on fire
to immediately like each other
The children got on like a house on fire from the first day.
light up (sth) or light (sth) up
if your face or eyes light up, or if something [e.g. smile] lights them up, you suddenly look very happy or excited
The compliment lit up her face.
make up for lost time
to do something to compensate for not doing it previously
After a slow start, he worked hard to make up for lost time.
do sb out of sth
informal to stop someone from getting or keeping something, in a dishonest or unfair way
The dishonest seller tried to do customers out of their money.
come into one’s own
to be very successful
After years of practice, she has come into her own as a leader.
be asking for sth
informal to behave stupidly in a way that is likely to cause problems for you
By ignoring every warning, he was asking for trouble.
descend to sth/doing sth
to behave badly in a way that other people would not expect you to
He refused to descend to shouting during the argument.
come off better/worse
to end up in a good or bad position because of an argument or some kind of struggle
He came off worse when everyone compared the two candidates.
have sb down as sth
to think that someone is a particular type of person, especially when they are not in fact like that
I had her down as a quiet person, but she was very talkative.
get sth out of your mind
to stop thinking about something
Try to get the embarrassing mistake out of your mind.
get in sth or get sth in
to manage to do something even though you do not have much time because you are busy doing other things
He got his apology in before the meeting ended.
rise above sth
to not allow something bad that is happening or being done to you to upset you or to affect your behaviour
She rose above the criticism and continued helping the group.
outdated adj
old-fashioned and therefore not as good or as fashionable as something that is modern
His outdated attitude offended many people.
get sth out of sth/doing sth
to enjoy something or think that something is useful
He got a lot of confidence out of joining the drama club.
clown about/around
to act in a silly way
The children clowned around instead of listening to the instructions.
shine through (sth)
if a quality that someone has shines through or shines through something, that quality is very easily noticed
Her kindness shone through even when she was under pressure.
bring out sth or bring sth out
to make a particular quality more noticeable
The difficult experience brought out his patience and kindness.
outspoken adj
if someone is outspoken, they express their opinions even though other people might be offended by them
The outspoken student challenged the unfair rule.
push sb about/around/round
to tell someone what to do in a rude or threatening way
He pushed his younger brother around whenever adults were not watching.
show off
to show someone or something that you are proud of to a group of people
She showed off by telling everyone how talented she was.
draw out sth or draw sth out
to make something continue for longer than is usual or necessary
Her humour drew the conversation out longer than intended.
outgoing adj
if someone is outgoing, they are friendly and energetic and find it easy and enjoyable to be with others
Her outgoing nature makes new people feel welcome.
draw out sb or draw sb out
to help someone who is shy to feel more confident
The new teacher drew the shy pupil out with gentle questions.
block out sth or block sth out
to stop yourself from thinking about something unpleasant because it upsets you
She tried to block out the rude comments and stay calm.