Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs: Vocabulary Building

Useful English phrasal verbs and their meanings in simple words | Alphabetical list of English phrasal verbs
1500 Useful phrasal verbs for daily use

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What are “Phrasal Verbs”?

A PHRASAL VERB is made up of a Verb and an Adverb or a Preposition or both.
Adverbs or prepositions which are used in Phrasal Verbs are called ‘Particles’.

Verb + adverb = Phrasal verb
Verb + preposition = Phrasal verb
Verb + adverb + preposition = Phrasal verb

Examples:
break down -- verb + adverb [break= verb; down= adverb]
ward off -- verb + preposition [ward= verb; off= preposition]
keep up with -- verb + adverb + preposition [keep= verb; up= adverb; with=preposition]

‘USUAL’ and ‘IDIOMATIC’ Meanings of Phrasal Verbs
A Phrasal verb may have usual or idiomatic meaning -

Phrasal Verb with Usual meaning:
Verb and Particle keep their ordinary meaning
Example: turn around -- to turn around

Phrasal Verb with Idiomatic meaning:
Verb and Particle doesn’t keep their ordinary meaning
Example: turn down -- to reject an offer

Following is the detailed list of useful Phrasal Verbs and their meanings:

 
English Phrasal Verbs -- A

Abide
abide by -- to obey/follow a decision, rule, etc.

Abound
abound with/in -- to be full of

Account
account for -- to explain | to be a definite amount for | to destroy

Accustom
accustom to -- to be familiar

Act
act on -- to affect
act out -- to express a feeling or an emotion in your behavior
act up -- to behave inappropriately
act upon -- to take an action on the basis of particular information, etc.; to execute

Add
add in -- to include
add to -- to increase
add up -- to calculate or count | to be sensible or reasonable
add up to -- to have a particular result | to have a certain total amount

Adhere
adhere to -- to follow a particular rule

Agree
not agree with -- to dislike or disapprove

Aim
aim at -- to Intend to achieve a particular goal

Alight
alight on -- to find something by chance

Align
align with -- to support a person, rules, etc, openly or publicly because you agree with them

Allow
allow for -- to take something into consideration
allow of -- to make possible; to permit

Allude
allude to -- to refer to

Amount
amount to -- to be equal to something | to count something as a total

Angle
angle for -- to try to get something indirectly by hinting

Answer
answer back -- to make counter-argument | to give rude reply to your senior, an authority, etc.
answer for -- to be responsible
answer to somebody for something -- to explain your decision or action

Appertain
appertain to -- to refer or relate

Argue
argue down -- to beat somebody in an argument or a debate | to persuade people not to accept a proposal or motion | to persuade a seller to reduce the price
argue somebody into doing something -- to give reasons to persuade somebody to do or not do something

Arrive
arrive at -- to decide something after deliberation

Arrogate
arrogate to yourself -- to claim/take without having right

Ascribe
ascribe to -- to think or say something is done by somebody

Ask
ask around -- to talk to many people with a view to getting information | to invite
ask for -- to request or demand something | to provoke a negative reaction
ask in -- to invite somebody into your house
ask out -- to invite someone for a date

Attend
attend to -- to deal with somebody/something

Auction
auction off -- to sell something at an auction

Avail
avail yourself of -- to take advantage of an opportunity

Average
average out -- to make even; to calculate the average | to balance or equalize

Awake/Awaken
awake/awaken to -- to be aware of possible effects of something