Preparing for the IELTS Speaking exam requires a strong vocabulary, which is a key factor in your score. The examiner will assess not just the words you use, but also how accurately you use them. Expanding your vocabulary with synonyms, set expressions, idioms, and phrasal verbs is essential.
Phrasal verbs, in particular, can enhance your fluency and make your speech sound more natural, as native speakers often use them. Including these in your speech can boost your score by making you sound more lively and idiomatic.
To help you, we’ve compiled a list of advanced phrasal verbs, complete with definitions and examples, to help you discuss a range of topics more effectively.
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
| cut down on sth | reduce | I had to cut down on sugar and coffee to lose some weight. |
| bank on sth/sb | to expect and hope something will happen | I’d banked on getting a pay rise this year.I could always bank on my father’s support. |
| brush up on sth | to improve a skill you haven’t practiced for some time | I thought I’d brush up on my French before going to Paris. |
| bring sb down | make sb upset | I am not fond of listening to heavy metal because it brings me down. |
| check in | arrive at the hotel or airport and register | We checked in online, so we didn’t need to waste time on queuing. |
| check out | leave a hotel | We checked out the next morning right after breakfast. |
| cheer up / cheer sb up | become/make sb happier | I love listening to pop music because it always cheers me up. |
| clean up / tidy up | restore order, make sth clean | I tidy up my room every Saturday. My mom was always tired of asking me to clean up my room. |
| come down with sth | become sick | When I was 6 I came down with chickenpox. |
| dress up | put on special clothes / put on formal clothes | He dressed up as a cowboy for the party. You don’t need to dress up to go to the mall – jeans and a T-shirt are fine. |
| drop out | to quit school, a class/stop doing something before you have completely finished | He dropped out of school when he was sixteen. |
| end up | to finally be in a particular place or situation | After walking my way round the world, I ended up teaching English as a foreign language. |
| fall apart | to fail or stop working | Their marriage fell apart after she found out about his affair. |
| get across | communicate sth, make understandable | The novel is good at getting the experience of war across to the reader. |
| get around to sth | to do something you have intended to do, but not had time | I’d love to learn how to cook, but I just haven’t got around to it yet. |
| get along / get on with sb | to have a good relationship / to deal successfully with the situation | I don’t get on well with my father. I think I’m getting along well with my new job. |
| give up | quit a habit/ stop doing something | I started learning English 2 years ago and I‘m not intended to give up. |
| grow apart | gradually begin having a less close relationship / stop being friends over time | There was nobody else involved – we just grew apart when my friend changed school. |
| hang out | spend a lot of time together | We enjoyed hanging out with each other when we were kids. |
| keep sth from sb | to not tell someone about something | He says it’s alright, but I think he’s keeping something from me. |
| look down on sb | to think that you are better than someone | She thinks they look down on her because she’s unemployed. |
| look up to sb | to admire and respect someone | I’ve always looked up to my grandfather. |
| mull sth over | think carefully about something for a long time | I need a few days to mull things over before I decide. |
| pan out | to develop in a particular way or in a successful way | His attempt to start a new business didn’t pan out. |
| pass up sth | to fail to take advantage of an opportunity | My friend is never one to pass up a free meal. |
| put sb down | insult/ make a negative statement about someone | The teacher put the new student down in front of everybody because he couldn’t answer his question. |
| run up against sb/sth | to experience an unexpected difficulty/to meet someone who is difficult to deal with | He’s the slickest talker I’ve ever run up against.I think we’re going to run up against more crime in the future |
| run out | have none left | His patience was starting to run out. They squatted in an old house when their money ran out. |
| set sth up | arrange, organize the activity | We only had a couple of hours to set up before the exhibition opened. |
| show off | to behave in a way that is intended to attract attention or admiration, and that other people often find annoying | She only bought that sports car to show off and prove she could afford one |
| stumble upon/across/on sth/sb | to find/ meet someone or something by chance/ to discover | Workmen stumbled upon the mosaic while digging foundations for a new building. |
| take after | to be similar to an older member of your family in appearance or character | I take after my mother’s side of the family. |
| think back | to remember something that happened in the past | When I think back to when I was her age, my parents used to treat me differently. |
| wear off | to stop having an effect or influence / disappear | The vaccine wears off after ten years. I was looking forward to a splash of colour that didn’t wear off. |
| while sth away | to spend time in a relaxed way | We whiled away the afternoon playing cards in front of the fire. |
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