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Phrasal verbs - health

Tim and Helen in the kitchen with an empty box of chocolates

Phrasal verbs, or multi-word verbs, are verbs that are combined with one or two particles (a preposition or adverb), for example, 'in' or 'out', to make verbs with new meanings. These new meanings are usually non-literal. For example, to throw means to send something through the air (He threw the pen to me) but to throw up means to vomit or be sick (She was really ill after eating that seafood and she threw up).

come down with something:
become ill with an illness that's not very serious
I think I'm coming down with a cold.

bring up something / bring something up:
vomit
The fish wasn't cooked properly. And as soon as she ate it, she brought it up.

pack up:
stop working or functioning
He smoked so much for so many years it was no surprise when his lungs packed up.

get over something:
become better after being ill, recover from being sick
When he gets over the flu, he'll go back to work.

pass out:
faint, lose consciousness
The room was so hot and stuffy that he passed out.

come round:
become conscious again after fainting or being unconscious
He fainted but came round again after we opened a window and got some fresh air into the room

build your strength up / build up your strength:
increase or become larger or stronger, or to make someone or something to do this:
She's had the flu and hasn't eaten for days. She needs to build up her strength before she goes back to work.

patch someone up:
give basic medical care to someone that helps them temporarily
When he cut himself on the broken glass, I patched him up before we took him to the hospital.

put on weight / put weight on
increase how much you weigh, to get fatter or heavier
I really need to go on a diet. I put so much weight on over the holidays.

take up something / take something up
start doing an activity, hobby or job
I'm going to take up tennis this summer. I've never played it before but I think I'll like it.

cut out something / cut something out
stop eating or drinking something, usually to improve your health
He's cut out sweets and chocolates and has already lost quite a bit of weight.

give up something / give something up
stop doing something or using something that you were in the habit of doing or using, usually to improve your health
I gave up meat 10 years ago and feel so much healthier now that I'm a vegetarian.

his energy level back up
increase the amount of energy or strength he has

tease
make someone think something is available (e.g. chocolate) when it's not

per chance
maybe

temptation
something you want to do but know that you shouldn't because it's in some way bad

my resolve crumbles
my determination to do something weakens, is no longer strong

put on a pound
get any fatter (one pound is a unit of weight, equal to about 0.454 kilogrammes)