Grammar
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
669
IDIOMS & PHRASAL VERBS
Idioms / Phrasal verbs are usually special to one language and cannot be translated
word for word. We cannot understand the meanings of idioms by their individual words.
Aladdin's lamp means a source of fulfilling any desire. But Aladdin is a name and lamp means
a device to lighten. Actually individual words cannot help you understand the real meanings
of idioms. Words which have their own meanings are called idioms or phrasal verbs.
All in all (on a whole when everything is considered)
Apple of discord (the cause of quarrel)
The apple of someone's eyes (be very dear)
Put by (store something)
How Can We Learn Idioms?
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Ô8
-g ÔV }X , ™„~Categories ZÃyQa Æp
pg Š c*
7Z X N Î #
Ö N*
g à Idiom
(1)
X ǃy ‚ W´gŠ c*
ÃyZ b§kZX {)z
Apple of someone's eyes.
A red letter day
A bed of roses
Aladdin's lamp
X D YƒŠ c*
Ð ä™wEZ~Ï0
+
ix ¬gzZ"7,
g !*
g !*
ÃyZXÐVƒ7Š c*
Ð Lg Idioms
(2)
Xì @*
Yc*
Šw$
+~ is, are, am, was, were à To be á ZzäƒwEZ~Idioms
(3)
Be at one's beck and call
Be part and parcel
Stress is part and parcel of the job.
Xì *
@Yw$
+˜À~ his/her/their one's
Indefinite Pronoun
(4)
Xì YYH{eà PrepositiongzZ VerbOgwì»] !*
kZñƒD™wEZ~¿Ã Phrasal Verb
(5)
Blow one's own trumpet
He always blows his own trumpet; no one likes him.
Please turn the chain about.
I rang her up last night
but
We should lay in for hard time.
She looked after her children.
Grammar
670
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
IDIOMS
1.
Above board ( Ð~g Z+
0ZZÔZ7ÔC) (adj-honest, frank) (honestly adv).
(i)
(ii)
2.
His financial dealings were always above board.
It was clear that they had acted above board.
Add fuel to the fire / the flame ( *
* ¯,
F+
$ÃX ) (to make problem worse)
Shouting at crying child just adds fuel to the fire.
3.
Add insult to injury ( )r#,
6V¿i ) (to make a bad situation worse)
The company rejected his application for a job, and to add insult to injury, refused to
pay his expenses.
4.
Aladdin's lamp ( r Z
l »zŠ Y) (magic lamp)
You need an Aladdin's lamp to pass the exams.
5.
All and sundry
( x ¬zm{ÙC) (one and all)
Cold drinks were served to all and sundry.
6.
All in all ( ,
6gî¦ù) (on a whole)
All in all, the party had been a great success.
7.
Apple of discord ( zzÅ} ×) (The cause of quarrel)
Kashmir is an apple of discord between the two countries.
8.
Apple of someone's eye ( Zg \ ) (Dear)
She is the apple of her father's eye.
9.
Bad blood ( #Š ) (enmity)
There has always been bad blood between the two families.
10.
Bad debt ( nÛŒZƒ*
!ze ) (a debt that cannot be recovered)
He will not pay you back; it is a bad bebt.
11.
A bad egg( ¿g »" ) (a bad person)
No one likes him as he is a bad egg.
12.
Bag and baggage( Éy â ‚zi ‚ ) (with all one's personal property)
He left his city bag and baggage.
13.
Beard the lion in his den
(*
* ”ŠÃkZ~D *
c yÆË ) (To confront someone on
his or her own territory)
If the landlord does not contact us soon, we will have to beard the lion in his den.
Grammar
14.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
671
Beat about the bush ( „; ÅOŠ QOŠ S ) (Talk about something for a long time
without coming to the main point)
Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
15.
A bed of roses( Ï+
0i y‚W ) (An easy life)
Who says life is a bed of roses?
16.
A bed of thorns
( _»VŠ» ) (A painful situation)
Everyone says life is a bed of thorns.
17.
Bell the cat
(*
*™x » » ~gŠ ·) (perform a daring act)
Who will bell the cat by arresting the corrupt politicians?
18.
Below the belt
(
ƒ o*
* ) (Unfair)
Only a coward hits below the belt.
19.
Better half
( ]§qÑ) (A person's wife, husband or partner)
My better half does not care much for restaurants.
20.
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
(*
* Yú~ VÂgßÂzŠ ) (two equally
unpleasant choices)
To marry either of the two girls, he is between the devil and the deep blue sea.
21.
Between two fires( ~ŠiÅú†§zŠ ) (being attacked from two sides)
He was caught between two fires when he had to face two friends' criticism.
22.
A bird's eye view
( Ã: Z,
]¤) (Having a glimpse)
This book gives a bird's eye view of the subject.
23.
Birds of a feather
( vß ` Z×' ë) (People who have similar interest, ideas or
characteristics)
24.
25.
Birds of a feather flock together.
A black sheep ( ƒà » ) (A member of a family or group who is regarded as a
disgrace to it).
He was a black sheep of the family as he had killed a person.
A blessing in disguise ( Øg ~ \zg Æ Øi ) (pleasant thing in the form of
unpleasant thing)
He could not get a seat in the plane; it was simply a blessing in disguise as the plane
crashed in its flight.
Grammar
26.
672
Blind alley
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( x »³" ) (an unproductive and hopeless situation)
Their dialogue will be proved a blind alley.
27.
Blow hot and cold
(˜â LÔ!ÂL ) (vacillate)
He blows hot and cold about going abroad.
28.
H
-!LVxìLZ ) (Talk boastfully)
Blow one's own trumpet / horn( C
à ð
He always blows his own trumpet; no one likes him.
29.
Blue blood( ±dZ ) (Noble birth)
Blue blood is no guarantee of any particular merit.
30.
Bluestocking
( yÂ{à Zzp
pgtzf ! Š Z ) (An intellectual and literary woman)
Perveen Shakir was a bluestocking as she had written a lot of poems.
31.
A bolt from the blue
( ¸µá)gzZ7 eZ ) (a sudden and unexpected event)
The job came like a bolt from the blue. or The news of his father's death was a bolt
from the blue for him.
32.
A bone of contention
( zzÅ} ×) (The subject of dispute)
Greed is a bone of contention between two brothers.
33.
Bosom friend
(
„zŠ RÛŒ) (a very close friend)
Bosom friends never leave their friends in difficulty.
34.
Bread and butter
( ~izg Kzg) (Livelihood)
Their bread and butter is teaching.
35.
Break the ice
(*
* h ÂÙñ{) (Say something to relieve tension)
We should break the ice and make proper conversation.
36.
A broken reed( ¿g ZG *
0*
* ) (A weak or ineffectual person)
(i)
(ii)
37.
Build castles in the air/in Spain
(i)
(ii)
38.
The superintendent of this building appears to be a broken reed.
Don't rely on him as he is a broken reed.
(*
*™y³ðZƒ) (To see day dream)
I really like to sit on the porch in the evening, just building castles in the air.
He always builds catles in the air about owning a big house
Burn one's boats / bridges( *
*™ »µñ»3Zz) (To end the opportunity)
He burnt his boats by resigning his post.
39.
Burn one's candle at both ends
(*
*™œJ) (To work very hard and stay up
very late at night)
You will wear out if you keep burning the candle at both ends.
Grammar
40.
To the backbone
( å) (Completely)
He is an honest man to the backbone.
41.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
673
Burn one's fingers / get one's finger burnt
foolish behaviour)
(*
* VQ yv) (Suffer as a result of
If he wastes his time, he will surely burn his fingers in the end.
42.
Burn the midnight oil
(*
*™x »J‰ ]Zg ) (work late night)
He is burning the midnight oil now-a-days to get good marks in the exams.
43.
A burning question
(Xë Z ) (A question whose answer is of great interest)
Corruption is a burning question these days.
44.
Bury the hatchet
(i)
(ii)
45.
(*
*™ »#Š ) (End a quarrel)
It is time for the politicians to bury the hatchet and make peace with one
another.
Two brothers buried the hatchet and started living together.
By and large ( ,
6gî¦ù) (Generally)
By and large, all of the chapters follow the same format.
46.
By/in fits and starts( ÐÏ°‡" ) (irregularly)
He worked on his book by fits and starts.
47.
By heart
( ã*
!i ) (By rote)
He learned the poem by heart.
48.
By hook or by crook( Ðj§,
^ Y*
*z ,
^Y) (By any possible means)
(i)
(ii)
49.
The government intends by hook or by crook to hold on the land.
He will pass the examination by hook or by crook.
By/in leaps and bounds( Ð~!¹) (with rapid progress)
The company progressed in leaps and bounds.
50.
Call a spade a spade
(*
*™]*
!~7~7 ) (speak plainly)
He is an honest man and always calls a spade a spade.
51.
Cast pearls before swine ( *
* O ÎÐWÆ å ) (offer valuable things to people
who do not appreciate)
Giving him advice is just casting pearls before swine as he does not listen to it.
To advise a proud man is like to cast pearls before swine.
52.
Casting vote
( ^zzÁê) (an extra vote to decide an issue)
A casting vote of the chairman decided the issue.
Grammar
53.
674
A cat's paw
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( g »!W ) (A person who is used by someone)
He was merely a cat's paw of an older and cleverer man.
54.
Catch somebody red-handed( *
*ñVð;fg )
I caught him red-handed, stealing a wallet.
55.
Cheek by jowl
($
dی) (Near)
They lived cheek by jowl in a one room flat.
56.
Child's play
( x »y‚W ) (easy task)
Tapping telephones is a child's play.
57.
A close shave/call
( Èw*
!w*
!) (A narrow escape)
I had a close shave in a severe accident
58.
A close fisted man( òŠ Wk< ) (A miserly person)
A close fisted man is not liked in any society.
59.
A cock and bull story( ã ¹ KÑ) (A false story)
Nobody believes this cock and bull story about his car accident.
60.
Come of age( *
*ƒÚ*
!&Ô *
*™¹,
F ) (Become fully established or reach adult status)
Space travel will finally come of age.
His children have now come of age.
61.
Come to an end
(*
*ƒ») (Finish)
Examinations have come to an end at last.
62.
Come to grief( *
*ƒ{ nÔ*
*ƒx » *
* ) (Fail or meet with disaster)
(i)
(ii)
63.
So many marriages have come to grief over lack of money.
Many a ship has come to grief along this shore.
Come to light
(*
*ƒx ¬) (Become known)
No new facts have come to light yet.
64.
Crocodile tears
( ²WL Ñ) (Insincere tears)
She was shedding crocodile tears for her dead husband.
65.
&‡*
Cry over spilt milk ( *
*™k\Z,
6yv°ˆÿLE
* ) (Waste time feeling upset)
It is no use crying over spilt milk.
The damage has been done but instead of crying over spilt milk, do something to
repair it.
Grammar
65.
675
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
Cry wolf( *
*g å]gz¢šaÆä™ßÃVÍß ) (Call for help when it is not needed)
If you cry wolf, no one will come to you for help.
67.
%N¼ ) (Do something badly)
Cut a sorry/poor figure( *
* VQÏqÑ,
6ä™ZæE
She cut a sorry figure when she told a white lie.
68.
Cut your coat according to your cloth ( *
*™x » ._Æ b‚z) (To do according
to one's means or ability)
The teachers advised us to cut our coat according to our own cloth.
69.
Be at daggers drawn
(*
*ƒ³#J) (be bitterly hostile towards each other)
They have been at daggers drawn for weeks over this issue.
70.
A dark horse( 0¥ Ö) (someone whose abilities are little known)
(i)
(ii)
71.
Everyone was surprised at the results of the election when a dark horse won.
The movie proved to be a dark horse for the award.
A dead letter( x³» ) (ineffective law or idea)
The ceasefire agreement is a dead letter now.
72.
Die in harness
(*
*™x »JxŠ D%) (work till death)
I like to die in harness.
73.
A dog's life
( Ï+
0i Q
S ) (A cheap life)
A poor life is much better than a dog's life.
74.
Double - faced ( : No) (Hypocrite)
Double faced politicians can't solve the problems of a common man.
75.
Eat humble pie ( *
*™s Z ‹Z » t) (Make humble apology and accept
humiliation)
(i)
(ii)
76.
He will have to eat humble pie at training after being sent off for punching.
In the long run the proud secretary of the club had to eat humble pie.
Eat one's words
(8
¢ :Zz p ÖZ LZ ) (Retract what one has said especially in a
humiliated way)
(i)
(ii)
77.
They will eat their words when I win.
It is hard for a proud man to eat his words.
At the eleventh hour( ,
6܉zÐ) (In the nick of time)
He paid his dues at the eleventh hour.
Grammar
78.
676
To err is human
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
G"N
( Õä 5F
» æyK
K̈Z ) (Man is guilty)
¨
To err is human; to forgive, divine.
79.
Face the music ( *
*™ o‚ » W) (To accept the unpleasant results of one's
actions)
(i)
(ii)
80.
Fazal broke a dining room window and had to face the music when his father
got home.
They had to face the music for abusing him.
Fair play( ƒ *
@,
'
ƒ o) (Honest behaviour)
They are demanding fair play in the allocation of housing and jobs.
81.
Fair weather ( 
„zŠ R) (Friends of good time)
Fahid's fair-weather friends left him when he lost his money.
82.
Fall/become prey to( *
*ƒg D) (To be attacked by some bad thing)
He fell prey to smoking.
83.
Fall flat
(*
*ƒx » *
* ) (Fail)
My attempt to save him fell flat.
84.
Fall victim to something
(C
àg D) (Become a victim)
She fell victim to bad habits.
85.
The fair sex ( ]gú) (women in general)
The fair sex are respected in Islam.
86.
A feather in one's cap
( i Z ³Z ) (An achievement)
Getting admission in a medical college would be a feather in his cap.
87.
Feather one's nest
(*
*½y CZ ) (Obtain money dishonestly)
Corrupt politicians feather their nest in Pakistan.
88.
Few and far between( g rL ) (Seldom)
He visits us few and far between.
89.
Fight to death
(*
* ±Ju~
y W ) (Fight till end)
The Muslims fought to death in 1965.
90.
Fish in troubled waters
(*
* VQ{+
Zû ~g6) (Take advantages)
Cunning people fish in troubled waters by misguiding the victims.
91.
A fish out of water
( u") (Feeling uncomfortable)
I felt fish out of water without my friends.
Grammar
92.
Flesh and blood
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
93.
677
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( ŠÛ»yZ+
0{&yK
K̈Z&]¡ãK
K̈Z ) (Human nature)(a human being)
¨
¨
This cold weather is more than flesh and blood can stand.
I am only flesh and blood, like anyone else.
Hadi is my own flesh and blood.
Fly in the ointment ( qà Zz% Z e~~8g ) (A problem that spoils something)
His father proved a fly in the ointment in our parties.
94.
Flog/beat a dead horse
(*
*™ÒÊÎ" ) (Waste time)
To try to succeed half-heartedly is to beat a dead horse.
95.
Follow suit
(*
*™~zc) (To do the same)
He jumped into the river and I followed suit.
96.
For good
( aÆå) (Permanently)
He left his city for good.
97.
For the sake of
( §{Å ) (In order to help)
He works hard for the sake of his family.
98.
For want of something
( ÐzzŶ ) (Lacking)
For want of a better location, we played cricket in the street.
99.
Foul play
( ö»ÆðŠ ) (Dishonest behaviour)
The referee sent off two players for foul play.
100. Gala day
( yŠ »Ùp ) (A happy day)
14th August is a gala day for the Pakistanis.
101.
Be in/get into hot water
(†
#~¤ ) (get into trouble)
You will get into hot water if you waste your time.
102. Get rid of
(*
*™bZi ) (Throw away something)
I got rid of my old car.
103. Gird up one's loins
( Ò# ) (Ready to do something)
Gird up your loins to get good marks in the exams.
104. Give and take
( zŠ¼gzZß¼ ) (Negotiation)
Give and take policy prevails now a days.
105. Give a false colouring to
( bŠ8gß) (Misinterpret)
He gave a false colouring to my statement and left me.
106. Give oneself airs
(*
*g â !) (put on airs) (Be proud)
He always gave himself airs.
Grammar
107.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
678
Give/show someone the cold shoulder
(*
*™i Z+
0ZÙú1 yY) (To ignore
someone)
A government servant should not give anyone the cold shoulder.
108. Give the devil his due
(*
*™s »Z ) (do justice)
To give the devil his due, I admit his performance in the film.
109. Give vent to
(*
*™g ÖZ ) (To express)
Children give vent to their anger in various ways.
110. Go up in smoke
(*
*ƒ»Ô *
*ƒx » *
* ) (Be destroyed)
His dreams went up in smoke when he failed in a medical test.
111.
Go through fire and water
(*
*™ o‚»ÂÙC) (Face difficulty)
A brave man goes through fire and water.
112. Go to the dogs
(*
*ƒ{ n) (Spoil)
Young boys go to the dogs if they are not guided.
113.
Golden age
( gzŠ ~¯) (Period of success)
He hankered after a lost golden age.
114.
Golden opportunity
( µñ~¯) (Big chance / important occasion)
He got a golden opportunity to get a good position.
115. Hair-breath escape (close shave)
( Èw*
!w *
!) (Narrow escape)
He had hair breath escape from the accident.
116.
:N) (Closely linked with someone especially in
Hand in glove with ( qÑ~ xæE
an illegal activity)
They were working hand in glove with our enemies.
117. Be at hand
($
dی) (Near, close by)
The students work hard when exams are at hand.
118. Hard and fast
( å&¥) (Fixed)
We should follow the hard and fast rules of our college.
119. Hard/tough nut to crack (XÂ) (A difficult problem/situation)
To reduce poverty in Pakistan will be a hard nut to crack.
120.
Harp on something
( CÑZvZg„qZ ) (Talk too much about something)
I don't want to harp on about the past.
Grammar
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
679
121. Have the gift of the gab
( ´gA
¢&Å%1Њ OZ ) (To have the ability to speak
confidently)
A good leader should have the gift of the gab.
122. Hue and cry
( ¸¨zgØ) (Great noise)
He raised a hue and cry among the public.
123. Have an axe to grind (Personal interest) ( *
*™ÝqŠ ¢CZ )
I have no personal axe to grind in this matter.
124.
Have something at one's fingertips
(*
*ƒ,
'i Z ) (Completely familiar with
something)
He has all tactics at his fingertips.
125. Heart and soul
( ÐyYzwŠ ) (Completely)
I love my country heart and soul.
126. Hope against hope
(i)
(ii)
( ´gyQxƒñ) (Hoping against pessimism)
They were hoping against hope that he would find a way out.
We are hoping against hope for change in Pakistan.
127. A house of cards
( qg ZG*
0*
* ) (something that is likely to fall down)
His policies proved a house of cards in the end
128.
In the teeth of
( Šz*
!Æ) (Despite)
Bill was passed in the teeth of strong opposition.
129.
In spite of
( Šz*
!Æ) (Notwithstanding)
In spite of difficulties, he got very good marks in the exams.
130. In the air
(i)
(ii)
( x ¬›iy*
!i ) (In circulation)
Eid was in the air.
There is romance in the air.
131. In somebody's good books
(*
*ƒYZ~ÃÅË ) (To be good in one's opinion)
Ali is in his teacher's good books right now because he has completed his homework.
132. In the nick of time
(,
6܉zÐ) (Just in time)
The rescue came in the nick of time.
133. In cold blood
( Ði Z+
0Z: Óª) (In a cruel way)
Robbers killed him in cold blood.
Grammar
680
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
134. In a fix ( y .,
6) (Confused)
He was in a fix in his first class.
135. In a nutshell
( U¿) (In short)
To put it in a nutshell, we're bankrupt.
136. In black and white
( ~,
k’) (Written)
We should make every agreement in black and white.
137.
In consequence of
(,
6gîÆË) (As a result)
The child was born deformed in consequence of an injury to its mother.
138.
In due course( ,
6܉z
ƒ o) (After the lapse of time)
I shall visit you in due course.
139. In full swing( ,
6Vzgzi ) (Highest level)
His dance was in full swing in the party.
140. Ins and outs
( , ) (details)
Give me the ins and outs of the business.
141. In short
(i)
(ii)
142.
( U¿) (in a nutshell)
They are, in short, old-fashioned.
We hope, in short, to bring theory and practice together in each season.
In so far as (To the extent) ( JV˜)
In so far as I know, he is a corrupt man.
143. A jack of all trades
( Ññ®ÙC) (Someone who can do many types of work)
Nasir is a jack of all trades but master of none.
144. A jail bird
( ~{) (A prisoner)
He was an escaped jail bird.
145.
Keep an eye on
(*
*™ ãZô ) (To look after somebody / something)
Government should keep an eye on the prices of food items.
146. Keep at arm's length ( ´ggz™ ) (To avoid becoming too friendly with
somebody)
We should keep bad boys at arm's length.
147.
Keep body and soul together
( ´g쇸g »yYzŸ) (Not to die of hunger)
It is difficult for the poor to keep body and soul together.
Grammar
148.
681
Keep one's head above water
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( xgpôÐnÛŒ) (Remain out of debt)
We should keep our head above water.
149.
Keep one's temper
( ´g1‡,
6V) (Overcome anger)
She could not keep her temper when Ali abused her.
150. Keep pace with
( »B‚Æäâ i ) (Go side by side)
Our resources have failed to keep pace with ever increasing dearness.
151. Keep the wolf from the door
going hungry)
( ÈÐ uÈ) (To have enough money to avoid
He works hard to keep the wolf from the door.
152. Keep up appearance
( ´gì‡~g ZŠÙCª) (pretend to be all right)
They were angry but kept up appearances for the sake of their children.
153. Kick the bucket
(*
*%) (die)
He had a heart attack and kicked the bucket.
154.
Kill two birds with one stone
( g DzŠÐ¾qZ ) (achieve two aims at once)
I killed two birds with one stone and picked the kids up on the way to the
supermarket.
155. Kith and kin
( g ZŠ¸g ) (one's relations)
He loves his kith and kin heart and soul.
156. Lame excuse
( : ·*
NÑ) (unacceptable lies)
You should not make lame excuses to avoid work.
157. Laughing stock ( ÑZzW
“: K
¶»t Zè) (someone or something that is very silly)
His activities became the laughing stock of the college students.
158.
Lead someone by the nose
(*
* Zz™x »Ðè%KZ ) (control someone totally)
He led his workers by the nose.
159. Leave in the lurch ( *
* Yhg~Â) (Leave in an uncomfortable situation)
Our best friend left us in the lurch at the peak of crises.
160. Leave no stone unturned
(*
*™ÒÃg7½)
He left no stone unturned to get admission in a good institute.
161.
Lend an ear
( bŠzÂ) (Pay attention)
Students are always willing to lend an ear to the teachers' advice.
162. At length
(i)
(ii)
( g»
y W Ôå) (fully, in detail, after a long time)
These issues have been discussed at length.
He passed the exams at length.
Grammar
163.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
682
Lick the dust/bite the dust
(*
* Y3“&*
*%) (to be slain; to fall in battle)
India had to lick/bite the dust in the war.
He was licked the dust by his enemy.
164.
Let the cat out of the bag (reveal a secret)
(*
*™lÃi Zg )
I want to keep the party a secret, but Faisal let the cat out of the bag.
165. The lion's share
( zZ ,
() (the largest part of something)
The eldest son received the lion's share of the estate.
166.
Live by one's wits ( *
* ¾ ¶gÐ ÅÑegzZ ~g k) (Earn money by clever and
sometimes dishonest means)
He lived by his wits and was involved with many shady characters.
167. Live from hand to mouth( *
*™{g Z /
¦o ) (have hardly enough money to live on)
His father earned a very little, so they lived from hand to mouth.
168.
Long and short of something
( ¿r) (the summary of the matter)
The long and short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January.
169. Be at a loss
( y.,
6) (not knowing what to say)
I am at a loss to explain what happened.
170. Lose heart( *
*ƒk-â ) (become discouraged)
He lost heart after failing in the exams.
171. Lose one's head ( *
* Yƒ1‡") (lose self control)
(i)
(ii)
172.
He lost his head in the annual meeting.
He got upset and lost his head.
Lose one's temper
(*
* W~V ) (become angry)
He lost his temper and left the house.
173. Maiden speech
(,
k½«) (First speech)
His maiden speech impressed us.
174.
Make a clean breast of something
something)
(*
* C s ) (To tell the truth about
Faiza finally made a clean breast of it and admitted that she had stolen the money.
175.
Make a mountain out of a molehill
(*
* ¯ + » ]*
!) (make an unimportant
matter seem important)
He is in habit to make a mountain out of a molehill of petty matters.
Grammar
683
176. Make amends for
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*™ °ˆ) (apologize, compensate)
I wanted to make amends for my mistakes.
177. Make both ends meet( *
*™{g Z /
¦o ) (earn just enough money to live on)
They were finding it hard to make both ends meet.
178. Make fun of
(*
* Z h Qt Zè) (laugh at)
Everyone made fun of his follies.
179. Make good
(*
*ƒ[x» ) (be successful)
He worked hard and made good at last.
180. Make one's mark ( *
*™Za x *
* ) (attain recognition or distinction)
He made his mark as a great cricketer.
181. A man of letters( ¿–J ,
7) (a learned man)
Our English teacher is a man of letters.
182. A man of parts ( òŠ WA
¢& *
!) (a man with many abilities)
A man of parts can do wonders for his nation.
183.
A man of his word
( òŠ WZ7 ) (a courteous and honourable man)
A man of his word is respected everywhere.
184. A man of straw
( ¿»g ZŠ™gz$ ) (someone who has a weak character)
They don't trust him because he is a man of straw.
185.
Mind one's own business
( ´gx »Ð x » LZ ) (refrain from meddling in other
people's affairs).
Don't ask me the reason, mind your own business.
186. Move heaven and earth
(*
*™ÒÃg7½) (make a supereme effort)
He promised to move heaven and earth to win the race.
187. A narrow escape
( Èw*
!w *
!) (close shave, a near miss)
Passengers had a narrow escape in an accident.
188. A near miss
( Èw*
!w *
!) (a close call, a narrow escape)
He had a near miss when his car hit a nearby tree.
189. A necessary evil
( ðZ,
',
k/
¦*
* ) (something unpleasant that must be accepted in
order to achieve a particular result)
Most Pakistanis accept taxes as a necessary evil.
Grammar
684
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
190. Nip something in the bud ( bŠ Ã~ Y Z’Z ) (stop something before it has
established)
It's important to nip this evil in the bud.
191. Now and again or then
( g rL ) (From time to time)
(i)
We visit our friends now and again.
(ii)
We eat mutton every now and then.
192. Null and void
( x³» ) (having no legal force)
The election was declared null and void.
193. Of one's own accord
( Ðè%KZ ) (Voluntarily)
He left this country of his own accord.
194. Off and on or on and off
( g rL ) (now and then, intermittently)
I have had toothache off and on for a couple of months.
195. Offhand
( Æ~g »%) (at once)
He tried to deliver the speech in an offhand manner.
196.
In/on behalf of
(,
6gîÆ}ÒúÆË ) (as a representative of)
On behalf of my colleagues, I address you tonight.
197. On the horns of a dilemma
( ƒ xiÑ qZ ~ yZgzZ *
*ƒ ~ VezŠ ) (between a rock
and a hard place)
She found herself on the horns of a dilemma; she didn't know whether to go abroad or
stay here.
198. On the spur of the moment
(7 eZ ) (on impulse)
I don't generally do things on the spur of the moment.
199.
Once for all / Once and for all
( g »
y W ) (Conclusively, finally)
We solved the problem once for all.
200. Once in a blue moon
( g rL ) (very rarely)
He comes to me once in a blue moon.
201. At one's beck and call
( xgg »aÆÖ#.
} ) (ready to obey)
His servant is at his beck and call all day long.
202. At one's wit's end
( y.,
6) (upset)
I am at my wit's end with inflation.
Grammar
685
203. An open secret
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( i Zg î ) (something supposedly secret but actually known
quite generally)
Their affair was an open secret in education circles.
204.
Out and out
( å) (complete, thorough)
He is an out and out rogue.
205. Out of date/out of fashion
(i)
(ii)
%N) (old-fashioned)
( äZæF
I don't like out of date dresses.
My passport is out of date.
206. Out of sight( ÍzQÐÃ) (hidden, not visible)
He saw him until he was out of sight.
207. Out of sorts
(*
*ƒg F) (slightly unwell)
He can't do well because he is out of sorts.
208.
Out of the question
( e*
* ) (impossible)
A trip to Gilgit is out of the question this year.
(†
#~ ›*
c nی,
6 gî å) (completely trapped in
209. Over head and ears
love/debt)
He was over head and ears in debt of banks.
210. Be part and parcel
:NòiÑ) (an essential part)
( æEE
Stress is part and parcel of the job.
211. Pay back in the same coin
coin).
( Å,
F/ Å,
F ) (pay someone back in his/her own
We must be able to pay the US back in the same coin in this case instead of just
yielding to its pressure.
212. Pay/give lip service to
(*
*™ a
y ¦ ã*
!i ) (say that you agree with something
but do nothing to support it.)
(i)
(ii)
He paid only lip service to the dictator.
They pay lip service to quality but they don't want to do anything about it.
213. Pay through the nose
(*
*™ZŠ Z7{Š *
c i ) (Pay much more than a fair price)
We paid through the nose to get a car.
214.
Play second fiddle to
something)
(*
*ƒ $
T*
* » Ë ) (have a subordinate role to someone or
She plays second fiddle to her principal in this college.
Grammar
215.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
686
Play with fire
( oÐ}ç ) (take foolish risk)
He is ready to play with fire to get his goal.
216. Poke one's nose into
(*
*™ìZæ) (meddle in)
A lot of people poke their noses into the lives of others.
217. Pocket an insult
(*
*™ o‚» C³") (face insult)
He has to pocket an insult when he speaks without thinking.
218. Poison one's ears / mind against someone
(*
*½y» ) (backbite)
His aunt tried to poison his ears/mind against his father.
219. Pros and cons
( , ) (detail)
We discussed the pros and cons of democracy.
220. Pull/make a face/make faces at someone/something
(*
*Z
mì)
(To move your mouth, nose, and eyes in strange ways to show emotion or make
people laugh)
(i)
She made a face when she was told the work wasn't finished.
(ii)
My sister made faces at me to tease me.
221. Pull someone's leg
(*
*™t Zè) (tease someone, make fun of)
He is a rich man-you are just pulling my leg.
222.
Put the cart before the horse
(*
*™x » tZ ) (do something in the wrong order)
(i)
You are eating your dessert first! You have put the cart before the horse.
(ii)
Aslam has put the cart before the horse in most of his projects.
223. Play truant ( H
k ¸Ðwj) (stay away from school without permission)
He is often punished to play truant.
224. Rain cats and dogs
(*
*ƒlg *
!!) (rain very hard)
It is raining cats and dogs outside.
225. At random ( ÆM
K,
F%) (without conscious choice)
He opened the book at random.
226. Rank and file
( vßx ¬) (the ordinary workers in a company)
The rank and file are not given their rights in Pakistan.
227.
Read between the lines
(*
* Î`Å»]*
!ÝZ ) (find a hidden meaning)
Reading between the lines, I think Hassan wants to go abroad.
Grammar
687
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
228. Red letter day( yŠ »Ùp ) (a day of happiness)
The day I won the prize was a red-letter day for me.
229. A rolling stone ( }™: x » ™S ¿(Z ) (someone who does not settle in one
place rarely prospers)
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
230. Royal road
( 3 Zgy‚W ) (an easy way)
There is no royal road to success.
231.
Run short of
(*
*Ħ ) (become short)
We are running short of milk now a days.
232. Safe and sound
( «à ) (not hurt or damaged)
Three days later, the hikers were found safe and sound.
233. Save something for a rainy day
(*
* X a Æ Ü‰z Â) . (reserve something for
difficult time)
I have saved some money for a rainy day.
234. See eye to eye
(*
*ƒ5) (agree)
The boss and you do not always see eye to eye.
235. Set free
( bŠ hg ) (make someone free)
We should not set the terrorists free.
236. Be short of
(*
*Ħ ) (not having enough of something)
I can't go to USA because I am short of money.
237. At sixes and sevens
( x ) (in a confused, badly organized, or difficult
situation)
Children are at sixes and sevens in the absence of their parents.
238. A snake in the grass
($
,‚»YW ) (an insincere friend)
We should be beware of our friend who is a snake in the grass.
239.
So far as( JV˜) (to the extent that)
The play was a great success so far as attendance was concerned.
240.
Speak one's mind
(*
*™]*
!ÅwŠ ) (express one's opinions frankly)
He always speaks his mind in the meeting.
241. Spick and span( Z_s ™) (Neat and clean)
My little house is spick and span.
Grammar
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
688
242. Spread like wildfire ( l
Ab§Åv WÅk) (spread rapidly)
Rumours spread like wildfire in the city.
243. A square meal( *
* 3jyEZ ) (a satisfying meal)
A poor man can't afford three square meals a day.
( )u ,
6 ]*
! à ©) (great outrage or excitement about a
244. Storm in a tea cup
trivial matter)
(i)
(ii)
245.
He was very upset but later it proved a storm in a tea cup.
His reaction proved to be a storm in a tea cup.
A stroke of luck ( ¬lp ) (something good that happens to you by chance)
Fleming discovered penicillin by a stroke of luck.
246.
Take advantage of something/somebody
(*
* VQ {+
ZÃ) (utilize someone or
something)
We took advantage of the good weather and went for a picnic.
247. The sum and substance
( hvÔ]ïë Z ) (a summary)
He tried to explain the sum and substance of the essay.
248.
At stake
( ~}ç ) (at risk)
Many people's lives are at stake when the river is in flood.
249. Stand on ceremony
( Ú,
'Ø ) (act in a formal or overly polite manner)
Please sit down and make yourself comfortable, we don't stand on ceremony here.
250. Take a fancy to
(*
*™I) (Become fond of)
She took a fancy to me.
251. Take care of
(*
*™w¸NŠ ) (be responsible for or watch over)
Please take care of my child while I am away.
252. Take heart
(*
*™,j ) (receive courage or comfort)
I told her to take heart and try again next time.
253. Take French leave
9N
HŸF
(*
*™ ö- q :Z%) (remain absent without permission)
He always takes French leave from his office.
254. Time and tide
( ܉z) (Time)
Time and tide wait for no man.
Grammar
689
255. Tooth and nail
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( Ðgzi}g7) (Try very hard)
We fight tooth and nail for our country.
256. Turn a deaf ear to ( bŠ:zÂ)
He turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
257.
Turn the tables on somebody
( bŠw+
$wq]gß) (Change the situation)
After many defeats, he finally turned the tables on his old rivals.
258. A turncoat ( ¿ÑZz %+
$ ñZg *
c Kg *
0 ) (one who switches to an opposing side or
party)
People denounce him as a turncoat.
259. Wet blanket ( ÑZz ä™Ë(,j ) (a dull or depressing person who spoils other
people's enjoyment)
He is a wet blanket because he ruins everyone's good time.
260. A white elephant
( ¶; C) (Something that has cost a lot of money but has
no useful purpose)
An old car is a white elephant for me because it costs much but gives little benefit.
261. A wild-goose chase
( ÒÊÎ") (a worthless hunt or chase)
(i)
He wasted his life on a wild-goose chase.
(ii)
His desire to succeed without hard work would be a wild-goose chase.
262. A white lie ( ^Ñg¢" ) (a minor, polite, or harmless lie)
When I was young, I told little white lies.
263.
A wolf in sheep's clothing
( ¬o)
(A person with a pleasant and friendly appearance that hides the fact)
Beware of him as he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
264. Uphill task / job
( x »Â) (difficult project)
We are trying to expand our business, but it's an uphill task.
265. Under a cloud
( ~—) (under suspicion)
The cabinet minister left his office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
Grammar
690
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
ADDITIONAL IDIOMS
1.
A dog in the manger
( bŠ äƒ*
**
*ƒlpŠp: )
(Someone who keeps something that they don't really want in order to prevent
anyone else from having it.)
(i)
Stop being such a dog in the manger and let your sister ride your bike if you
are not using it.
(ii)
The objection to the suggestion is a dog in the manger.
2.
A fish story
( ã¹KÑ) (a boastful story)
He has many fish stories about his success.
3.
A hard pill to swallow
(i)
(ii)
4.
( 'â o ) (Something that is difficult to accept)
That my own son could have done something so horrible is a hard pill to
swallow.
The failure of her marriage is a hard pill to swallow.
A man of iron will
( ¿ÑZz}Š Zg Z¢) (a determined man)
A man of iron will never gives up, even in difficult situation.
5.
Alpha and omega ( y
WzwzZ) (The first and the last) or (The most important part.)
Hard work is the alpha and omega of success.
6.
An oily tongue
( y*
!i ~æá(p ) (flattering tongue)
Beware of the oily tongue of your servant; that man is dangerous.
7.
Animal spirits
( g7½Ðð*
* Z Â) (Full of vigour)
Army personels are always full of animal spirit.
8.
%N) (extremely calm)
As cool as cucumber ( yjæF
He remains as cool as cucumber during crises.
9.
At a pinch
(,
6]gz¢) (in case of necessity)
Ahmad's car can take four people comfortably, five at a pinch.
10.
At a stretch
GI
i$E
(~ ï
qZ ) (In one continuous period)
-
I often had to work for over twenty hours at a stretch.
11.
Be up in arms
(*
*ƒ~V) (to be very angry)
They are up in arms about / over the new management structure.
12.
Brainwave
( wìÑZzä½Z7 eZ ) (A brainstorm)
I had a brilliant brainwave last night about how we could end world hunger.
Grammar
13.
Bring somebody to book
(i)
(ii)
14.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
691
( bŠ Zw ) (Punish someone)
Whosoever is guilty, should be brought to book.
Government should bring all criminals to book.
Bring something home to somebody
something much more clearly)
&‡) (make someone understand
(*
* ¯ ûÿLE
The hard work really brought my weakness home to me.
15.
Broken health
( ¡[Z
y ) (ill health)
Call / bring somebody / something to mind
be remembered)
(*
* Ñ~ ‚f ) (cause something to
This incident calls / brings something unpleasant to me.
16.
Capital punishment ( ]ññZw ) (The legally authorized killing of someone
as punishment for a crime)
He was given capital punishment for having killed a man.
17.
Carry / win the day
(*
*ƒ<Ã) (be successful)
Our team carried / won the day in the end.
18.
Carry weight
( ë Z ) (To be considered serious and important)
Asad's opinion carries weight in our assembly.
19.
Catch at a straw ( Zg – »xà Ize ) (Said about someone who is in a very difficult
situation and who will take any available opportunity to improve it)
A drowning man will catch at a straw.
20.
Cold blood
( Ði Z+
0Z: Óª) (with cruel intent)
He killed a woman in cold blood.
21.
Cold comfort
( õÔyj) (Quite limited sympathy)
The good news about the economy is cold comfort to the poor people of Pakistan.
22.
Come to light
(*
* Wt ‚|) (become known, be revealed)
The truth finally came to light.
23.
Come to terms with something ( 8
¢™Mõ) (gradually accept a sad situation)
He is trying to come to terms with the death of his friend.
24.
Cry for the moon ( **
™éZpÅe**
) (ask for the impossible thing)
You are crying for the moon if you think to get good marks in texam without
hardwork.
He couldn't attend the meeting because of broken health.
Grammar
25.
692
Day in, day out
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( izgÙC) (For each day)
I have to do the same boring jobs day in, day out.
26.
Down and out
( geÑ) (destitute, penniless)
Nobody likes the down and out people.
27.
Drawn game
( ò,
'Z,
') (a game in which neither party wins)
Neither of the team could win the game, it was a drawn game.
28.
Egg on
(*
* ‚ Z ) (Push someone to do something)
She was egging him on to fight.
29.
Every inch
(,
6gîå) (in every way)
My father is every inch a gentleman.
30.
Eyewash
(]*
!w‰) (insincere talk)
I don't like his eyewash about a change.
31.
%N) (to be hurt or deceived by someone or
Fall prey to ( *
* Y ú~ ]Š ¬ ~æE
something bad)
Small children fall prey to all sorts of fears.
32.
Far and near ( Ðs§ÙC) (Everywhere)
People came from far and near to see their leader.
33.
Fight shy of
(*
* Z Ä ) (try to avoid something)
Children fight shy of parties.
34.
Find fault with
(*
*™W) (blame, criticize)
He finds fault with everything she does.
35.
Get wind of
(*
* YyY) (become aware of)
I got wind of their conspiracy.
36.
Go to pieces
(*
* Y ^Iå) (become so nervous or upset that one is unable to
function normally)
She went to pieces at the funeral.
37.
Go/sell like hot cakes
(*
*+
h
y~Š Z®~,
(gzZ Ð~!) (To be bought quickly and in
large numbers)
The new game is apparently selling like hot cakes.
Grammar
38.
Guilty of
693
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( g Zzg]) (Justly chargeable with a fault)
She was guilty of murder.
39.
(*
*™á Zj ) (To give something to someone)
Hand over
Please hand over my wallet.
40.
High and mighty
( gzf) (haughty; arrogant)
He is a bit too high and mighty himself.
41.
Hold water
(*
*ƒÌZ ) (to be logical, defensible, or valid)
This argument just does not hold water.
42.
In keeping with ( *
*ƒ“ _) (In harmony)
His lifestyle is very much in keeping with his high status.
43.
(*
*ƒlp *
* ) (Feeling unhappy)
In low spirits
Everyone was in low spirits because of the rainy weather.
44.
In the doldrums
(~ ò» *
* ) (Unsuccessful or showing no activity)
Her career was in the doldrums during those years.
45.
Lay aside
( ´g™ X) (Save aside)
We should lay aside some money for a difficult situation.
46.
Let down
(*
*™k-â ) (To disappoint someone or a group )
Please don't let me down.
47.
Look down upon
( 9 ŠÐ{ óÅ]g ›) (Consider someone inferior)
We should not look down upon the poor.
48.
On account of
( ÐzzÅ ) (because of something)
They got very good marks on account of their high intelligence.
49.
On the air
(*
*Ē) (broadcasting on radio or television)
The program is still on the air.
50.
On the eve of
( ¬ZgfÐ) (Just prior to)
The team held a party on the eve of the tournament.
51.
On the whole
(,
6gîå) (overall, altogether)
On the whole, the speech was excellent.
52.
Open Pandora's box ( *
* ÎgmZ »b)) (uncover a lot of unexpected problems)
I opened Pandora's box by asking him his problem.
Grammar
53.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
694
Out of the question
( e*
* ) (impossible)
A trip to Gilgit is out of the question this year.
54.
Pay for
( ×{ i $) (Suffer punishment for something)
The criminal will pay for his crimes.
55.
Red tape
( ðZzg » ~ íŠ ~gz¢)) (Excessive regulation or rigid conformity to
formal rules)
We should cut through the red tape for quick service.
56.
Ride the high horse
(*
*™õ) (feel proud)
He is riding the high horse because of his great success in exams.
57.
Show the white feather
(*
* 3Š à Š ,
)) (Behave in a cowardly manner)
India showed the white feather and retreated from Kargal.
58.
Small talk
( Wë Z)) (Conversation about unimportant things)
Social gatherings are good for small talk.
59.
Smell a rat
(*
*™µ) (suspect that something is wrong)
When he died, investigators were called in and soon smelt a rat.
60.
Split hairs( *
*g *
@Qw3Åw*
!) (argue about small details of something)
Religious disputes split hairs endlessly.
61.
Take the bull by the horns ( *
*™Ð ~gŠ · x » Âðà )
difficult in a brave and determined way)
( T o d o s o me t h i n g
Why don't you take the bull by the horns and tell him to leave?
62.
Take to task.
(*
*™øiuÔ )Q ) (Blame or censure)
The teacher took Zubair to task for his bad behaviour.
63.
Talk shop
(*
*™]*
!0Æc LZ ) (Talk about your job)
Even at a party they have started to talk shop.
64.
Tide over
( bŠ Šæ ~ ä™Ãx » Ë ) (to help someone to work or operate
normally)
Can you lend me some money to tide me over till the weekend?
65.
To and for (OŠ QOŠ S )
(Back and forth)
Outside my door, I could hear people walking to and fro.
66.
To hit the mark ( *
*ƒ[x»~ÒÃ ) (Be successful in an attempt)
He hits the mark from time to time with witty dialogue.
Grammar
67.
695
To make headway
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( −,
(ÐW ) (to make progress)
Talks between the two parties are making very little headway.
68.
Up to the mark ( ._Æg £) (up to the required standard)
Our education system is not up to the mark.
69.
With might and main
( Ð]¸~g7) (with all one's strength or power)
We fought against our enemies with might and main.
70.
Without fail
( ~]gßÙC) (In every case)
She takes a walk every morning without fail.
71.
Work or do wonders/miracle( *
* Ñò}iZ ) (produce very good effects)
Running works wonders for the metabolism.
PHRASAL VERBS
1.
Act on/upon
(*
*™¿) (follow)
They acted on/upon my advice.
2.
Act out
(*
* 3ŠÆ™,
6gîi) (perform the actions)
The children acted out their favourite poem.
3.
Bear out
(*
*™& ¤) (confirm)
The facts don't bear this story out.
4.
Bear with
(*
*™{gZ /
¦ ) (be tolerant with)
Bear with me a moment while I make a phone call.
5.
Beat back/off( *
*™g6,
6% Z eg Ï ) (force someone to go back)
Enemy forces were beaten back by our troops.
6.
Beat down
( + ) (defeat)
The attackers beat down the defenders.
7.
Beat up
(*
*g â ) (harm a person by striking him)
The robbers beat me up and took my money.
8.
Blow over
(*
* Yg /
¦%Æyv) (fade away)
Wait, and it will all blow over.
Grammar
9.
696
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
* u™g â 7Y) (extinguish a flame with a puff of breath)
Blow out
I blew out the candles one by one.
10.
Blow up
(Y
ÐÐÆ}Š ) (explode)
The boiler blew up.
11.
Break away
(*
* Y−™hg) (get away)
He broke away from the criminal group.
12.
Break down
(*
* Yƒ[Z
y) (stop working)
My car broke down on the way.
13.
Break into
²YN
( éE
5kŸ 4Š,
'i ) (burgle)
Two robbers broke into my home.
14.
(*
* Yƒ») (Disperse)
Break up
Their partnership broke up.
15.
Break off
(*
*ƒ{e) (separate)
One leg of the table broke off.
16.
Break out ( *
*ƒqzÑ7 eZ ) (undesirable things start suddenly)
Fighting broke out between two rivals.
17.
Break with
(*
*,
7±) (quarrel)
He broke with his family two years ago.
( R »]*
!) (interrupt)
18.
Break in
19.
Bring about
As she was talking, he suddenly broke in.
(*
*ƒzz) (affect)
Katherine brought about many changes in Chips.
20.
Bring down
(*
*™Á ) (reduce)
Our government should bring down the prices.
21.
Bring in
(*
* ¾«o) (produce or earn)
My business brought in a lot of profit.
22.
Bring out
(*
*™ù á() (publish)
I brought out a new book last year.
23.
Bring up
(*
*™lgz,
6) (raising and caring for a child)
She brought up three sons on her own.
Grammar
24.
697
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
Call on ( NÃ¿Ë ) (pay a visit to someone)
I am planning to call on my friend today.
25
( )¥,
6(Ë ) (stop at a place)
Call at
The train calls at Gujranwala.
26.
Call for
(*
*™c_) (demand)
This job calls for someone with experience.
27.
(*
* šaÆ{gt) (Summon for help or consultation)
Call in
Please call in the lawyer.
28.
Call upon
(*
*™
„ ZpgŠ ) (Request, appeal)
I would like to call upon our principal to address the students.
29.
Call out
(*
*gå) (speak loudly)
He was calling out to Ahmad for lunch.
30.
Call up
(*
*™]*
!,
6y¯8) (call someone on the telephone)
Please call up the teacher.
31.
Call off
(*
*™ c™) (decide that something will not happen)
He has called off the wedding.
32.
Carry off
(S
œx ÅZ ) (win something)
He carried off the top prizes.
33.
Carry on ( ´g ~g Y) (continue doing)
(i)
Carry on working hard.
(ii)
34.
Rescue operations were carried on in spite of the storm.
Carry out
(*
* Ñ~¿) (execute)
They carried out their plan without incidents.
35.
Carry through
(*
*™å) (complete)
They carried through their project successfully.
36.
Cast aside
(*
*™Ýq]) (discard)
He wanted to cast aside his old house.
37.
Cast down
(*
*ƒ{Š`) (make dejected)
He was cast down at the death of his friend.
Grammar
38.
698
Come off/about
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*ĵZz) (happen as planned)
My brother's marriage will come off/about next Sunday.
39.
Come across
( N éG
¡S· Z ) (find by chance)
I came across my old friend on the way.
40.
Come to / round
(*
* W~lƒ) (revive)
He came to / round after one hour.
41.
Come at
(*
*™ú) (rush at)
The watchdog came at the thief.
42.
Come down
(*
*ƒÁ ) (reduce)
Prices rarely come down in Pakistan.
43.
( N) (find or get something)
Come by
Where did you come by that new shirt?
44.
Come of
(*
*ƒm) (be descended from)
He comes of an educated family.
45.
Cut down
( R » ) (chop something down)
Stop cutting the trees down.
46.
Cry up
(*
*™p° ) (praise something)
He always cries up his cricket team.
47.
(*
* Y,
7gz$ ) (fade)
Die away
The sound of his footsteps gradually died away.
48
Die down
(*
*ƒ»× W× W ) (decrease gradually)
The fire died down and went out.
49.
Die of / from something ( *
*% Ð PŠ q *
c ~gF) (Perish from an injury or a
particular disease)
He died of/from cancer.
50.
Die out
(*
*ƒ») (stop existing)
Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.
51.
Drop off
(*
*/
¤ ) (decline)
Attendance of the students in summer season drops off.
Grammar
52.
699
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( N) (visit someone)
Drop in / by
I dropped in/by on Fahid on my way home.
53.
Fall back
(C
¢ú) (retreat)
The enemy fell back as our troops advanced.
54.
Fall back on
(8
¢Zg –) (have something to use when you are in difficulty)
I have little money in the bank to fall back on.
55.
Fall in
(*
*ƒ} 9~g ·) (stand in queue)
The teacher ordered his students to fall in.
56.
Fall in with
(*
*ƒ5) (agree with)
Their views fall in with ours.
57.
(*
*Ħ ) (decrease in number)
Fall off
Tourism falls off when the summer is over.
58.
Fall on/upon
(*
*™ú) (attack)
The enemy fell on us suddenly from the rear.
59.
Fall out
(*
*×) (quarrel)
They fell out over nothing.
60.
Fall through
(*
*ƒx » *
* ) (Fail)
The project fell through due to lack of money.
61.
Get about/around
( o˜(( ) (move around)
It is difficult to get about / around in the summer season.
62.
Get up
( 3Q ) (rise from bed after sleeping)
I get up very early in the morning.
63.
Get on/along
( −,
(ÐW ) (grow older to be aged)
They were both getting on in years.
64.
Get over
(*
**
0 1‡) (recover)
I got over the shock.
65.
Get through
(*
*ƒ[x» ) (succeed in)
He got through the examination with good marks.
Grammar
66.
700
Get into ( *
* Yú) (become involved in)
He got into trouble by stealing cars.
67.
Give away
(*
*™„) (distribute)
I decided to give away all my wealth.
68.
(*
* hgÔ*
*™u,
F ) (stop trying to do)
Give up
He gave up smoking.
69.
Give in
(8
¢yâg ;) (surrender)
The rebels were forced to give in.
70.
Go after
(*
*™Üˆ¬) (follow)
I went after my child and stopped him.
71.
Go ahead
( −,
(ÐW ) (begin to do something)
He wants to go ahead with his planning.
72.
Go by
(*
*g /
¦ ) (pass)
Time goes by slowly in old age.
73.
Go off
(*
* Y^) (explode)
The gun went off by accident.
74.
Go over
( "Y) (examine or check something carefully)
Go over your essay before you hand it to your examiner.
75.
Go with
( ´g“ _) (combine well with something)
Does this jacket go with this shirt?
76.
Go through
( −,
7Ð, ) (study something in detail)
I went through the lesson again.
77.
Keep on
( ´g ~g Y) (continue to do something)
Students should keep on working hard.
78.
Keep away
( xggzŠ ) (stay away)
keep away from bad boys.
79.
Keep up
( ´gg Z ÛŒ,
') (continue doing something)
Please keep up your speech.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
Grammar
80.
Keep to
701
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( xgÃ) (Stick to)
Keep to the lofty aim.
81.
(*
*™w¸NŠ ) (take care of, tend)
Look after
He looks after his younger brother.
82.
Look for
(*
*™lˆ) (seek, search for)
We are trying to look for our old friend in this city.
83.
(*
*™)) (Investigate)
Look into
The inspector looked into the case yesterday.
84.
Look over
(*
*™¤ç) (examine)
Will you please look over my report before I submit it?
85.
Look down upon
( 9 ŠÐ]g ›) (disrespect)
We should not look down upon the poor.
86.
Make after
(*
*™Üˆ¬) (run after someone)
The policeman made after the thief.
Does this jacket go with this shirt?
87.
Make away with
(*
* Yv¸™á ) (take something away)
The thief made away with the jewelry.
88.
Make for
(*
* Ys§Å ) (move towards something)
We made for a near refuge during rain.
89.
Make of/out
( ') (understand the meaning)
I couldn't make of this essay all.
90.
Make up
(*
*™~g7¶ ) (compensate)
Government should make up the lost money of the poor people.
91.
Make up for
(*
*™ °ˆ) (Compensate for someone or something)
We have to do extra work to make up for Ahmad.
92.
Make off
(*
* Yv¸Ð~!™Z
l ) (hurry away)
The thief made off with money last night.
93.
Put aside
(*
*™ ») (disregard)
They have decided to put aside their bad habits.
Grammar
94.
702
(*
*™~ –) (delay)
Put off
He had to put off his progress until December.
95.
Put on
( <k]) (dress yourself)
Put on your coat during winter.
96.
Put out
(*
* u) (stop something burning or shining)
He put out a candle and slept.
97.
Put by
( ´g™ X) (Store something)
They put by some money for a rainy day.
98.
Put up with
(*
*™
“ ZŠ,
') (tolerate)
It is difficult for me to put up with him.
99.
Put down
( r ) (write something)
I put down the main points of the lecture.
100.
Part with
(*
* hg) (give up)
I can never part with my books.
101.
Run after
(*
*™Üˆ¬) (make after)
I ran after the child and caught him.
102.
Run at
(*
*™ú) (attack)
He ran at me with a knife.
103.
Run away with
(*
* Yv¸B‚ÆË ) (elope)
She ran away with her lover.
104.
Run over ( + ) (drive over)
A man was run over and killed.
105.
Run down
(*
*ƒÁ ) (become smaller)
The company is running down its sales force.
106.
Set aside
(*
*™Šg ) (reject)
I set aside his foolish suggestion.
107.
Set in
(*
*ƒqzÑ) (begin, start)
The summer season has set in early.
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
Grammar
108.
703
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*ƒ: Zzg) (begin a journey)
Set out
They set out on the last stage of their journey.
109.
Set off ( *
*™qzÑ^) (begin a journey)
They set off together in the small car.
110.
Set up
(*
*™ì‡) (establish)
We set up a school for the poor students.
111.
Send for
(*
* š) (summon)
If you don't go, I shall send for the police.
112.
Take after
(*
*ƒ/x) (resemble)
She takes after her mother.
113.
Take back ( 8
¢:Zz) (return)
I took back my money from my friend.
114.
Take down
( r ) (write)
I took down his address.
115.
Take for
( 'ß) (consider mistakenly)
Don't take silence for approval. .
116.
Take in
(*
* W~ÆðŠ ) (deceive)
He took me in with his appearance.
117.
Take on
(*
* Î,
6x » ) (hire)
The farmers took on more workers during the harvest.
118.
Take over
( Üe) (assume control)
He took over the farm after his father's death.
119.
Take to
(*
*ƒ~Š ¬) (develop a habit)
He took to smoking last year.
120.
Take up
(*
*™qzÑ{g *
!zŠ ) (begin again)
Let's take up where we left off.
121.
Turn down
(*
*™Šg ) (reject or refuse someone or something)
He turned down my proposal.
Grammar
122.
704
Turn off
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*ƒÈ) (go off)
All the lights turn off automatically.
123.
(*
* `) (switch on)
Turn on
Please turn on the lights.
124.
Turn to
( IaÆŠæ) (ask person for help)
I turned to my friend for financial support.
125.
Turn up
(*
* W ) (make an appearance, arrive)
Many old friends turned up at the reunion.
ADDITIONAL PHRASAL VERBS
1.
Act up
(*
*™:x » b§hZ ) (fail to function properly)
The plane's engine was acting up.
2.
Beat about
(*
*™lˆ) (search)
My son is beating about his toys.
3.
Bring forth( *
* Zz™sg ”) (introduce)
We brought forth a proposal for upgrading our education system.
4.
Bring on
(C
àzz) (bring about)
This incident will surely bring on a crisis.
5.
Call down
(C
]Z e ) (scold)
The teacher called down his students for lateness.
6.
Carry away
(*
*ƒi Z+
0Z ,
WZ ) (influence greatly)
They were carried away by the appeal to their patriotism.
7.
Cast about/around
(*
*™lˆ) (search or seek)
We cast about/around good books to read during the summer season.
8.
Come apart
(C
Õ~Vz•) (break up)
His car may come apart on that rough road.
Grammar
9.
705
Come forward
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*™7]â .
}KZ ) (offer to give help or information)
Many people came forward with money to help the needy people.
10.
(*
*™c_) (shout a demand for someone or something)
Cry for
She cried for help, but no one heard her.
11.
Cry out
(*
* `) (make a loud sound because of pain)
The child was crying out in pain.
12.
(*
*ƒ[Z
y ) (stop working)
Cut out
Our car cut out on the way.
13.
Draw back ( C
¢úÐg e ) (move away)
Ismaeel drew back when he saw a dog.
14.
Dress up
(*
*™@$
dik]) (dress smartly)
We dressed up for the party.
15.
Drop out
( bŠ hg ) (abandon)
She had dropped out of college.
16.
Egg on
(*
*g ¸Q ) (urge on)
Our guide egged us on climbing the mountain.
17.
Fade away
(*
*ƒgz$ ) (become weaker)
As the years passed, the memories faded away.
18.
Fall away
(*
* 3“ ) (move back or retreat from someone or something)
The soldiers fell away from the battlefield.
19.
Fall to ( *
*™qzÑÐ~g ZŠ)f )
(Begin doing something energetically)
It fell to me to explain to him what happened.
20.
Feed on
(*
*™ÝquZgp ) (eat as food)
They feed on animals and vegetables.
21.
Fly at
(*
*™ú) (attack)
The angry child flew at the doctor.
22.
Get at
( )) (reach successfully)
The cat hid where we couldn't get at it.
23.
Get ahead
( −,
(ÐW ) (advance)
Everyone wants to get ahead in life.
24.
Get off
(*
*ƒ: Zzg ) (leave or depart)
What time did they get off?
Grammar
25.
706
Get on
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
( −,
(~/ ) (grow older)
He was getting on in years.
26.
(*
*™qzÑ) (begin or carry on with)
Go about
How should we go about researching this topic?
27.
Go along with
(*
*ƒ5) (agree with someone)
He will go along with us on this matter.
28.
Go at
(*
*™ú) (attack)
They went at the visitors last night.
29.
Go down
(*
* Wn) (move down to a lower level)
The boat went down slowly.
30.
( 5 YZB‚Æ}uzŠ ) (match)
Go with
These shoes really go with that dress.
31.
Hang on
(*
*™g OZ ) (wait awhile)
Hang on a minute, I need to talk to you.
32.
Hang up
(*
*™Èy¯8) (end a telephone conversation)
Norma hung up angrily.
33.
Hit on
(*
*™Ä*
c gŠ ) (To discover something)
She hit on a new scheme for the poor people.
34.
Knock off
(*
*™{ ) (discontinue, stop)
He knocked off work at five.
35.
( bŠ“ ) (defeat)
Knock out
Mohammad Ali knocked out his opponent.
36.
Lay down
(*
*™È) (stop doing)
We lay down our duty at 5 PM.
37.
Lay in / up
(*
*™ ¦) (store something)
We should lay in / up for hard time.
38.
Let off
( bŠ hg ) (Release)
The police let her off with just a warning.
39.
Lay out
( bŠM
K,
F ) (arrange according to a plan)
We laid out the seating of the guests.
40.
Leak out
(*
*™V]Zi Zg ) (release secret information to the public)
Someone leaked out the minutes of the meeting.
Grammar
41.
707
Idioms & Phrasal Verbs
(*
*ƒ») (end)
Let out
Our college work let out early yesterday.
42.
( 9 ŠÐg¨) (watch)
Look at
We looked at the bird in astonishment.
43.
Look up
(*
*™lˆ) (Seek information in the book)
I shall look up this person in a reference book.
44.
(*
*ƒ]¯) (die)
Pass on
His father passed on three years ago.
45.
Pull down
(*
* ¾ ) (earn a stated amount of money)
She pulls down about $3000 a year.
46.
Pull in
( )) (arrive at a place)
When we reached the station, the train pulled in.
47.
Pull off
( )zg) (stop by the side of a road)
If you are feeling sleepy, pull off the road immediately and have a rest.
48.
Ring in ( *
*™ y¯~ x Z/
¤z,
6 Æ -+
ig *
c ~z K) (make a telephone call to a radio or
television program)
Many people rang in to make a donation yesterday.
49.
Ring off
(*
*™Èy¯) (end a phone conversation)
She rang off hurriedly.
50.
Ring up
(*
*™y¯) (call someone on the telephone)
I rang her up last night.
51.
See off
( Iq ZŠß Z ) (Say good-bye)
I saw my son off at the railway station.
52.
Take to
(*
*ƒ~Š ¬) (To do something as a habit)
I have taken to waking up very early.
53.
Tell on ( *
* C»bzg},
'ÆË ) (Give information about someone's bad
behaviour or secrets)
If you don't stop hitting, I am going to tell on you.
54.
Turn about
( Ü+
$cg ) (reverse the direction)
Please turn the chair about.
55.
Turn against
(C
à ³#) (become hostile towards)
Public opinion turned against him.
56.
Turn up
(*
*ƒg ZŠ%7 eZ ) (To appear unexpectedly)
She turned up at the funeral.