Cut

1
S1 W1 / kt / verb (past tense and past participle cut , present participle cutting)
1 REDUCE [transitive] to reduce the amount of something:
Theyre introducing CCTV cameras in an attempt to cut street crime in the area.
You need to cut the amount of fat and sugar in your diet.
Scientists are warning that unless carbon emissions are cut, we could be heading for an environmental
catastrophe.
Seven hundred jobs will be lost in order to cut costs and boost profits.
The major aviation companies need to cut prices if they are to compete with budget airlines.
cut something by 1 million/$5 billion/half etc
The welfare budget has been cut by $56 billion.
cut something off something
A new direct service will cut two hours off the flying time between London and Seoul.
Staffing levels had already been cut to the bone (= reduced to the lowest level possible).
2 DIVIDE SOMETHING WITH A KNIFE, SCISSORS ETC [intransitive and transitive] to divide something or
separate something from its main part, using scissors, a knife etc:
Do you want me to cut the cake?
The telephone wires had been cut minutes before the assault.
cut something with something
Jane cut the cord with a knife.
cut somebody something
Can you cut me a piece of bread, please?
cut along/across/round etc
Using a pair of scissors, cut carefully along the dotted lines.
cut through
Well need a saw that will cut through metal.
cut something in half/in two
Cut the orange in half.
cut something into slices/chunks/pieces etc (= make something into a particular shape by cutting)
Cut the carrots into thin strips.
cut something to size/length (= cut something so that it is the size you need)
The curtain pole can be cut to length.
CUT AWAY , CUT OFF , CUT OUT , CUT UP
3 MAKE SOMETHING SHORTER WITH A KNIFE ETC [transitive] to make something shorter with a knife,
scissors etc, especially in order to make it neater:
For reasons of hygiene, we had to cut our fingernails really short.
cut the lawn/grass/hedge etc
From outside came the sound of someone cutting the hedge.
have/get your hair cut
Its about time you got your hair cut.
4 REMOVE PARTS FROM FILM ETC [transitive] to remove parts from a film, book, speech etc, for example
because it is too long or might offend people:
The original version was cut by more than 30 minutes.
5 MAKE A HOLE/MARK [intransitive and transitive] to make a hole or mark in the surface of something, or to
open it using a sharp tool
cut into
The blade cut deep into the wood.
cut something into something
Strange letters had been cut into the stone.
Cut a hole in the middle of the paper.
Cut open the chillies and remove the seeds.
6 INJURE [transitive] to injure yourself on something sharp that breaks the skin and makes you bleed
cut your finger/knee/hand etc
I noticed hed cut his finger quite badly.
cut yourself (on something)
Marcie said shed cut herself on a broken glass.
That knifes extremely sharp! Mind you dont cut yourself.
On Erics chin was a scrap of cotton wool where hed cut himself shaving.
She fell and cut her head open.
7 MAKE/FORM SOMETHING BY CUTTING [transitive] to make or form something from a solid piece of wood,
metal etc using a sharp tool:
Ill get a spare key cut for you.
cut something from something
The chair had been cut from the trunk of a tree.
8 LET SOMEBODY GET FREE [transitive] to cut something such as metal or rope in order to let someone
escape from where they are trapped
cut somebody from something
She had to be cut from the wreckage of her car.
He was in the vehicle for an hour before he was cut free.
9 TOOL/MATERIAL [intransitive] if a tool cuts well, badly etc, it cuts things well or badly etc:
professional quality tools that cut efficiently and smoothly
10 CLOTHES [transitive usually passive] if a piece of clothing is cut in a particular way, that is the way it is
designed and made:
The T-shirt is cut fairly low at the neck.
11 ON COMPUTER [intransitive and transitive] to remove something from a document or FILE on a computer:
To cut text, press Control + C.
Cut and paste the picture into a new file (= remove it and then make it appear in a new file).
12 GO A QUICK WAY [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get to somewhere by a quicker and more
direct way than the usual way shortcut
cut through/down/across etc
I usually cut through the car park to get to work.
Lets cut across the field.
13 DIVIDE AN AREA [intransitive and transitive] to divide an area into two or more parts
cut something in/into something
The river cuts the whole region in two.
cut through
The new road will cut through a conservation area.
14 PLAYING CARDS [intransitive and transitive] to divide a pack of cards into two:
First cut the pack, and then deal the cards
15 MUSIC [transitive] to produce a CD , song etc for people to buy:
The band cut their first single in 2001.
16 CROPS [transitive] to take the top part off crops such as wheat before gathering them
17 cut a deal to make a business deal:
A French company has reportedly cut a deal to produce software for government agencies.
18 cut (somebody) a check American English informal to write a CHECK for a particular amount of money
and give it to someone:
When the damage assessor called, he cut a check for $139.
19 cut! spoken said by the DIRECTOR of a film to tell people to stop acting, filming etc
20 PUT A FILM TOGETHER [transitive] to put the parts of a film together so that they make a continuous story,
and get rid of the parts you do not want
21 cut in line American English to unfairly go in front of other people who are waiting to do something
22 cut class/school American English informal to deliberately not go to a class that you should go to:
She started cutting classes.
23 cut your teeth (on something) to get your first experience of doing something and learn the basic skills:
Both reporters cut their journalistic teeth on the same provincial newspaper.
24 cut corners to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being
done properly:
Theres a temptation to cut corners when youre pushed for time, but its not worth it.
25 cut something short to stop doing something earlier than you planned:
The band has cut short its US concert tour.
Her athletic career was cut short by a leg injury.
26 cut somebody short to stop someone from finishing what they wanted to say:
I tried to explain, but he cut me short.
27 cut the... spoken an impolite way of telling someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you:
Cut the sarcasm, Jane, and tell me what really happened!
Cut the crap (= stop saying something that is not true) ! I saw his car outside your house.
28 cut somebody dead to deliberately ignore someone when you meet them:
I saw Ian in town but he cut me dead.
29 cut your losses to stop doing something that is failing, so that you do not waste any more money, time, or
effort:
He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.
30 LINE [transitive] if a line cuts another line, they cross each other at a particular point
31 TOOTH [transitive] if a baby cuts a tooth, the tooth starts to grow
32 cut somebody to the quick/bone literary to upset someone very much by saying something cruel:
His mockery frightened her and cut her to the bone.
33 cut to the chase informal to immediately start dealing with the most important part of something
34 cut a fine/strange etc figure literary to have an impressive, strange etc appearance:
Mason cuts a battered but defiant figure.
35 cut your own throat to behave in a way that will cause harm to yourself, especially because you are very
offended or angry about something:
Hed just be cutting his own throat if he left now.
36 (it) cuts both ways spoken used to say that something has two effects, especially a good effect and a bad
one:
The higher the interest rate, the greater the financial risk which, of course, cuts both ways.
37 cut the ground from under sbs feet to make someone or their ideas seem less impressive by having
better ideas yourself or doing something before they do
38 cut and run informal to avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly:
Although the company has faced financial difficulties, they do not intend to cut and run.
39 cut no ice/not cut much ice if something cuts no ice with someone, it will not persuade them to change
their opinion or decision:
Its unlikely that these arguments will cut much ice with Democrats.
40 cut the (umbilical) cord to stop being too dependent on someone, especially your parents
41 not cut the mustard informal to not be good enough:
Other magazines have tried to copy the formula but have never quite cut the mustard.
42 DRUGS [transitive usually passive] to mix an illegal drug such as HEROIN with another substance
43 cut your coat according to your cloth to spend only as much money as you can afford
44 to cut a long story short spoken used to say that you are only going to mention the main facts of
something:
To cut a long story short, he threw them out of the house.
45 cut it/things fine (also cut it close American English) to leave yourself just enough time to do something:
Even in normal traffic, 20 minutes to get to the airport is cutting it fine.
46 not cut it informal to not be good enough to do something:
Players who cant cut it soon quit the team.
47 cut a swathe through something literary to cause a lot of damage in a place or among a group of people:
A series of bribery scandals has cut a swathe through the government.
48 you could cut the atmosphere with a knife informal used to say that everyone in a place is very annoyed
or angry with each other and this is very easy to notice
COLLOCATIONS
NOUNS
cut costs (= reduce the amount you spend running a business, a home etc) They cut costs by getting rid of
staff.
cut prices Shops have been forced to cut their prices after very slow sales.
cut taxes/rates The government is expected to cut interest rates next month.
cut spending/borrowing In the 1990s, governments worldwide cut military spending.
cut jobs The bank announced that it was cutting 500 jobs.
cut crime Cameras have helped to cut crime in the town centre.
ADVERBS
sharply/severely/drastically (= cut a lot) Housing benefit was sharply cut for all but the poorest people.
PHRASES
cut something to the bone (= reduce it to the lowest level possible) Funding for art and music in schools
has been cut to the bone.
COLLOCATIONS
PHRASES
cut somebody a piece/slice of something Shall I cut you a slice of cake?
cut something in half/two (= into two pieces) Cut the tomatoes in half.
cut something into pieces/slices/chunks etc Next cut the carrots into thin slices.
cut something to size/length (= so that it is the size/length you need) The place where I bought the wood cut
it to size for me.
ADVERBS
cut something open Cut open the avocado and remove the stone.
cut something lengthways (= cut it in the direction that is longest) First cut the fish in half lengthways.
cut something cleanly (= with no uneven edges) Branches should be cut cleanly from the tree.
THESAURUS
cut to divide something into two or more pieces, especially using a knife or SCISSORS: Do you want me to cut
the cake? | He cut off the lower branches.
snip to quickly cut something, especially using SCISSORS: I snipped the label off. | The hairdresser snipped
away at her hair.
slit to make a long narrow cut through something, especially using a knife: He slit the envelope open with a
penknife. | She slit through the plastic covering.
slash to cut something quickly and violently with a knife, making a long thin cut: Someone had slashed the
tyres on his car. | He tried to slash his wrists.
saw to cut wood, using a SAW (= a tool with a row of sharp points): Saw the wood to the correct length.
chop to cut wood, vegetables, or meat into pieces: Bill was outside chopping up firewood with an axe. | They
chopped down the old tree. | finely chopped onion
slice to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin pieces: Ill slice the cucumber. | Slice the bread thinly.
dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: First dice the apple into cubes.
grate to cut cheese or a hard vegetable by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it
over the vegetables.
peel to cut the outside part off something such as a potato or apple: I peeled the potatoes and put them in a
saucepan.
carve to cut thin pieces from a large piece of meat: Uncle Ray carved the turkey.
mow to cut the grass in a garden, park etc: A gardener was mowing the lawn.
trim (also clip) to cut a small amount off something, especially to make it look neater: He was trimming his
beard. | Trim the excess fat off the meat.
cut across something phrasal verb
if a problem or feeling cuts across different groups of people, they are all affected by it:
Domestic violence seems to cut across most social divisions.
cut something away phrasal verb
to remove unwanted or unnecessary parts from something by cutting it:
Cut away all the dead wood.
cut back phrasal verb
1 to reduce the amount, size, cost etc of something
cut back on
Several major hospitals are cutting back on staff at the moment.
cut something back
Education spending cannot be cut back any further.
Richer countries must do more to cut back carbon emissions.
CUTBACK
2 cut something back to remove the top part of a plant in order to help it to grow:
Cut back the shoots in spring to encourage bushier growth.
3 to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health
cut back on
Try to cut back on foods containing wheat and dairy products.
cut down phrasal verb
1 REDUCE to reduce the amount of something
cut something down
Installing double-glazing will cut down the noise from traffic.
cut down on
By getting the design right, you can cut down on accidents.
2 EAT/USE LESS to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health:
Ive always smoked, but Im trying to cut down.
cut down on
Cut down on fatty foods if you want to lose weight.
3 TREE cut something down to cut through the main part of a tree so that it falls on the ground
4 KILL cut somebody down literary to kill or injure someone, especially in a battle:
Hundreds of men were cut down by crossbow fire.
5 REDUCE LENGTH cut something down to reduce the length of something such as a piece of writing:
Your essays too long it needs cutting down a little.
6 cut somebody down to size to make someone realize that they are not as important, successful etc as they
think they are
cut in phrasal verb
1 INTERRUPT to interrupt someone who is speaking by saying something:
What shall I do? Patrick cut in again.
cut in on
Sorry to cut in on you, but there are one or two things I dont understand.
2 DRIVING to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous way
cut in on
She cut in on a red Ford, forcing the driver to brake heavily.
3 MACHINE if a part of a machine cuts in, it starts to operate when it is needed:
The safety device cuts in automatically.
4 INCLUDE SOMEBODY cut somebody in informal to allow someone to take part in a plan or to make money
from it
cut somebody in on
Come on, Joey, you promised to cut me in on this one!
cut somebody/something off phrasal verb
1 SEPARATE cut something off to separate something by cutting it away from the main part:
One of his fingers was cut off in the accident.
cut something off something
Cut the fat off the meat.
2 STOP SUPPLY cut something off to stop the supply of something such as electricity, gas, water etc:
The gas had been cut off.
The US has threatened to cut off economic and military aid.
3 get cut off to suddenly not be able to hear someone that you were speaking to on the telephone:
I dont know what happened we just got cut off.
4 be cut off
a) if a place is cut off, people cannot leave it or reach it:
In winter, the town is often cut off by snow.
b) to be a long way from other places and be difficult to get to:
Accessible only by air, the town is cut off from the rest of the country.
c) if someone is cut off, they are lonely and not able to meet many other people:
Many older people feel cut off and isolated.
5 STOP BEING FRIENDLY cut somebody off to stop having a friendly relationship with someone:
Julia had been completely cut off by all her family and friends.
cut yourself off (from somebody)
After his wife died, he cut himself off completely from the rest of the world.
6 INTERRUPT to interrupt someone and stop them from finishing what they were saying:
Emma cut him off in mid-sentence.
7 PREVENT SOMETHING cut somebody off from something to prevent someone from having something that
they need or want:
The project aims to ensure that poorer people are not cut off from the benefits of computer technology.
8 MONEY/PROPERTY to refuse to let someone receive your money or property, especially when you die:
My parents threatened to cut me off without a penny if I married him.
9 DRIVING cut somebody off American English to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous
way:
A man in a station wagon cut me off on the freeway.
10 cut off your nose to spite your face to do something because you are angry, even though it will harm you
cut out phrasal verb
1 REMOVE SOMETHING cut something out to remove something by cutting round it:
The cancerous cells had to be cut out.
cut something out of
Billy showed me the article hed cut out of the magazine.
2 CUT A SHAPE cut something out to cut a shape from a piece of paper, cloth etc:
The children were cutting out squares from the scraps of material.
3 STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING cut something out to stop something from happening or existing:
The idea behind these forms is to cut out fraud.
A catalytic converter will cut out 90% of carbon monoxide emissions.
4 STOP DOING/EATING SOMETHING cut something out to stop doing or eating something, especially
because it might be bad for your health:
The current advice to pregnant women is to cut out alcohol.
5 FROM WRITING cut something out to remove something from a piece of writing, especially because it
might offend people:
Cut out the bit about racial prejudice.
6 cut it/that out spoken used to tell someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you:
Hey, you guys, cut it out Moms trying to get some sleep.
7 NOT INVOLVE SOMEBODY cut somebody out to stop someone from doing something or being involved
in something:
The new rules will cut out 25% of people who were previously eligible to vote.
8 be cut out for something (also be cut out to be something) [usually in questions and negatives] to have
the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity:
In the end, I decided I wasnt cut out for the army.
Are you sure youre really cut out to be a teacher?
9 ENGINE if an engine or machine cuts out, it suddenly stops working:
The engine cut out halfway across the lake.
10 LIGHT/VIEW cut something out to prevent light, sound etc from reaching somewhere:
Youll need sunglasses that will cut out harmful UV rays from the sun.
11 cut somebody out to prevent someone from getting something, especially your money after your death:
Ems father decided to cut her out of his will.
have your work cut out at WORK 2 (15) , cut out the middleman at MIDDLEMAN
cut through something phrasal verb
1 written to move or pass easily through water or air:
The boat cut effortlessly through the water.
2 to quickly and easily deal with something that is confusing or difficult:
You need someone to help you cut through all the irritating legal jargon.
3 literary if a sound cuts through silence or noise, it is heard because it is loud:
A piercing shriek cut through the silence.
cut up phrasal verb
1 CUT INTO PIECES cut something up to cut something into small pieces:
Could you cut the pizza up, please?
cut something up into
He cut the paper up into little pieces.
2 DRIVING cut somebody/something up British English to suddenly drive in front of a moving vehicle in
a dangerous way:
Some idiot cut me up on the motorway.
3 BEHAVE BADLY American English informal to behave in a noisy or rude way
4 cut up rough British English informal to react in an angry or violent way:
Careful how you approach him he can cut up a bit rough if hes got a mind to.
5 CRITICIZE cut somebody up informal to criticize someone in an unpleasant way
CUT UP

Do 2 S1 W1 verb (past tense did , past participle done , third person singular does)
1 ACTION/ACTIVITY [transitive] to perform an action or activity:
Have you done your homework yet?
You need to do more exercise.
Its a pleasure doing business with you.
I didnt know what to do.
All he does is sit in front of the television all day.
do something/nothing/anything etc
We should do something to help him.
It all happened so quickly that I couldnt do anything about it.
bored teenagers with nothing to do
do the laundry/ironing/dishes etc
Its your turn to do the dishes.
REGISTER
In written English, people often use the verb act rather than the phrase do something , as it sounds more
formal:
The government needs to act to help these people.
2 SUCCEED [intransitive] used to ask or talk about how successful someone is at something
do well/badly
Students are under considerable pressure to do well.
how somebody/something is doing (with/in something)
You should get promoted after about a year, depending on how youre doing.
Hows he doing in trying to give up smoking?
3 HAVE AN EFFECT [transitive] to have a particular effect on something or someone:
The scandal will do serious damage to his reputation.
This will do nothing for (= will not improve) Jamies confidence.
The colour does nothing for her (= does not improve her appearance).
Getting the job has done a lot for (= had a good effect on) her self-esteem.
A week in the countryside will do you good (= make you feel better).
Exercise can do wonders for (= have a very good effect on) body, mind, and spirit.
4 JOB [transitive] to have a particular job:
What do you want to do after you leave school?
What do you do for a living (= as your job) ?
Shes very good at what she does.
5 ENOUGH/ACCEPTABLE [intransitive, transitive not in progressive] used to say that something will be
enough or be acceptable:
We dont have a lot of wine for the party, but it should just about do.
I cant find my black shoes so these will have to do.
A few sandwiches will do me for lunch.
It wont do (= it is not acceptable) to say that the situation couldnt have been avoided.
6 what somebody will do for something used to talk about what arrangements someone has made to get
something they need:
What will you do for money if you leave your job?
Im not sure what well do for transport yet.
7 what is somebody/something doing? spoken used to ask why someone or something is in a particular
place or doing a particular thing, especially when you are surprised or annoyed by this:
Whats my coat doing on the floor?
What are you doing walking around at this time of night?
What on earth do you think youre doing ?
8 do your/sbs hair/nails/make-up etc to do something that improves your appearance or someone elses
appearance:
It must take her ages to do her make-up in the mornings.
Who does your hair?
9 SPEND TIME [transitive] informal to spend a period of time doing something:
She did a year backpacking around the world.
Oh yes, I certainly did my time in the army (= spent time in the army).
10 STUDY [transitive not in passive] British English to study a particular subject in a school or university:
I did French for five years.
11 COOK [transitive] to cook a particular type of food:
I was thinking of doing a casserole tonight.
12 do 10 miles/20 kms etc to achieve a particular distance, speed etc:
We did 300 kilometres on the first day.
The car can do 120 mph.
13 PROVIDE A SERVICE [transitive] to provide a particular service or sell a particular product:
They do interior and exterior design.
We dont do food after two o'clock.
14 PERFORM A PLAY [transitive] to perform a particular play, show etc:
We did Guys and Dolls last year.
15 DECORATE [transitive] to paint or decorate a room, house etc:
How are you going to do your living room?
16 BEHAVE [intransitive] to behave in a particular way:
In the evenings students are free to do as they please (= do what they want).
I wish youd do as youre told (= do what you are told to do) !
17 somebody doesnt do nice/funny/sensible etc spoken informal used humorously to say that someone
cannot or does not behave in a particular way:
Sensible? I dont do sensible.
18 COPY BEHAVIOUR [transitive] to copy someones behaviour or the way they talk, especially in order to
entertain people:
He does a brilliant George Bush (= copies him in a very funny way).
19 do lunch/do a movie etc informal to have lunch, go to see a film etc with someone:
Lets do lunch next week.
20 DRUGS [transitive] informal to use an illegal drug:
He says hes never done hard drugs in his life.
21 VISIT [transitive] to visit a particular place, especially as a tourist:
Lets do the Eiffel Tower today.
22 thatll do! spoken used to tell a child to stop behaving badly
23 that does it! spoken used to say angrily that you will not accept a situation any more:
Right, that does it! Im not going to listen to any more of this!
24 that should do it (also that ought to do it) spoken used to say that you will have finished doing
something if you just do one more thing:
Ive just got to prepare the dessert and that should do it.
25 do it informal to have sex used humorously or when you want to avoid saying the word sex
26 somebody would do well to do something used to advise someone that they should do something:
Most people would do well to reduce the amount of salt in their diet.
27 PUNISH [transitive] British English spoken to punish or attack someone be/get done at DONE 2 (8)
28 DECEIVE [transitive] British English informal to deceive or trick someone be done at DONE 2 (7)
29 whats doing...? spoken used to ask what is happening:
Whats doing at your place tonight?
30 do or die used to say that someone is determined to do something very brave or dangerous even if they
die attempting it
31 how (are) you doing? spoken used when you meet someone to ask them if they are well, happy etc:
Hi Bob, how you doing?
32 what can I do you for? spoken used humorously to ask someone how you can help them, especially
when you are trying to sell them something
33 do well by somebody to treat someone well:
His relations always did pretty well by him.
34 do one spoken informal used to tell someone who is making you feel upset or angry to go away:
Oh, just go and do one!
DOING , DONE 2 , do your bit at BIT 2 (8) , how do you do at HOW (11) , nothing doing at
NOTHING 1 (14) , do somebody proud at PROUD (5) , do something to death at DEATH (4) , CAN-DO
COLLOCATIONS
DO + NOUN
do a job/task On Saturdays I usually do a few jobs around the house.
do some/any/ no etc work She was feeling too tired to do any work.
do the shopping/cleaning/ironing/cooking etc Who does the cooking in your family?
do the housework (= jobs in your home such as cleaning, washing clothes etc) Ive been doing the
housework all day.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) (= wash the plates after a meal) Will anyone help me
do the washing-up?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) (= wash dirty clothes) Ellie was doing the washing.
do your homework My parents dont let me go out unless Ive done my homework.
do a calculation/sum (= use numbers to find out a figure, price etc) I did a quick calculation on a piece of
paper.
do business (= buy and sell goods, or provide services) The company does a lot of business in China.
do something/nothing/anything He lay on the sofa and did nothing all day.
COLLOCATIONS
DO + NOUN
do some/any/no good (= improve a situation) It might do some good if you talk to him about the problem. |
The fresh air has done me good.
do somebody good (= make someone feel better)
not do (somebody) any harm also do (somebody) no harm (= not have a bad effect on something or
someone) One or two chocolate cookies wont do you any harm.
do damage (to something/somebody) A mistake like that can do a lot of damage to your career.
PHRASES
do a lot for something (= have a good effect on something) The new leisure centre has done a lot for the
towns image.
do nothing for something (= not have a good effect on something) Being apart for so long did nothing for
our relationship.
do nothing for somebody (= used to say that particular clothes, colours etc do not suit someone) I liked the
dress but it did nothing for me.
do wonders for something (= have a very good effect on something) A new haircut can do wonders for your
self-confidence.
do more harm than good (= used to say that something had a bad effect rather than a good one) I followed
his advice but it did more harm than good.
THESAURUS
do to do something used in the following phrases: do your work/homework etc: It usually takes me a
couple of hours to do my homework. | do the shopping/cooking/washing etc: Shes gone to the supermarket
to do the shopping. | do a test/experiment/some research: The doctor did some tests. | Fraser spent some
time in Egypt doing some archaeological research. | Scientists are doing research on two types of vaccine. |
do a course: Have you decided which course you want to do at university?
make to do something used in the following phrases: make a speech: The Prince made a short speech. |
make a comment/suggestion/joke: Can I make a suggestion? | make a decision: The committee will meet
to make their final decision. | make a mistake: I think someone has made a mistake.
give to do something used in the following phrases: give a talk/speech/lecture: Theyve asked him to give
a talk. | give a performance: The band gave a brilliant performance.
take to do something used in the following phrases: take a test/exam: Kates taking her driving test
tomorrow. | take a bath/shower: I think Ill go and take a shower. | take a walk: Normally, he took a walk
in the evenings.
commit to do something that is a crime, especially a serious crime: commit a crime: The crime was
committed in the early hours of the morning. | commit a robbery/murder etc: Dixon later admitted
committing the robbery.
carry out something to do something used in the following phrases: carry out your work: The violence is
making it difficult for firefighters to carry out their work. | carry out a task/duty: He still managed to carry
out his duties. | carry out a survey/test/some research: The hospital carries out research into skin diseases.
| carry out an operation: The operation was carried out at a hospital in Paris. | carry out a
threat/promise: They didnt carry out their threat to kill the hostages. | carry out sbs
orders/instructions/wishes: Im sure I can rely on you to carry out my instructions.
perform to do something. Perform is more formal than carry out , and is used in the following phrases:
perform a task/duty: The job mostly involves performing administrative tasks. | perform an operation: A
team of surgeons performed the operation.
conduct to do something used in the following phrases: conduct a survey/study/experiment: They
conducted a survey of approximately 2,000 people living in the area. | conduct an inquiry/investigation:
The police are conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire. | conduct an interview: Knowing how
to conduct a successful interview is a skill. | conduct a campaign: People were unimpressed by the way in
which the election campaign was conducted.
go about something to do your work or the things that you usually do, especially when something serious
has happened: go about your work/business: The next day she went about her business as if nothing had
happened.
get on with something spoken especially British English to start doing something that you should have
started already or to continue doing something that you stopped doing for a short time: I need to get on with
my homework.
be up to something spoken to be doing something that you think is probably bad, although you do not know
exactly what it is: Im sure theyre up to something. | Whats Jake up to? Hes been upstairs in his room all
day.
do away with somebody/something phrasal verb
1 to get rid of something or stop using it:
People thought that the use of robots would do away with boring low-paid factory jobs.
2 informal to kill someone
do somebody down phrasal verb
to criticize someone, especially in an unfair way:
I know you dont like him, but theres no need to keep doing him down in front of the boss.
do for somebody/something phrasal verb
British English informal to kill someone or harm something or someone very badly:
Working 100 hours a week nearly did for me.
be done for at DONE 2 (3)
do somebody in phrasal verb informal
1 to kill someone:
He was planning to do himself in.
2 to make someone feel extremely tired:
That walk really did me in.
done in at DONE 2 (4)
do something out phrasal verb British English
1 to make a room look nice by decorating it:
The room was beautifully done out in pastel colours.
2 informal to clean a room or cupboard thoroughly
do somebody out of something phrasal verb informal
to dishonestly stop someone from getting or keeping something, especially something they have a right to
have:
Are you trying to do me out of a job?
do somebody/something over phrasal verb
1 do something over especially American English to make a place look attractive by decorating it:
The whole apartment had been done over in an Art Deco style.
2 American English to do something again, especially because you did it wrong the first time:
If you make too many mistakes, youll have to do it over.
3 do something over British English spoken informal to steal things from a building
4 British English spoken informal to attack and injure someone
do up phrasal verb
1 to fasten something, or to be fastened in a particular way
do something up
Do up your coat or youll get cold.
a skirt which does up at the back
2 do something up to repair an old building or car, or to improve its appearance:
They did up an old cottage in the Scottish Highlands.
3 do something up to decorate something in a particular way:
The apartment was done up in Viennese style.
4 do something up to wrap something in paper
5 do yourself up to make yourself look neat and attractive:
Sue spent ages doing herself up.
do with something phrasal verb
1 could do with something spoken to need or want something:
I could have done with some help this morning.
2 have/be to do with somebody/something to be about something, be related to something, or be involved
with something:
Their conversation had been largely to do with work.
Im sorry about the accident, but its nothing to do with me (= I am not involved in any way).
This question doesnt have anything to do with the main topic of the survey.
Im sure her problems have something to do with what happened when she was a child.
3 what to do with yourself how to spend your time:
She didnt know what to do with herself after she retired.
4 what somebody should do with something/what to do with something etc used to ask or talk about how
someone should deal with something:
What shall I do with these papers?
I wouldnt know what to do with a newborn baby.
5 what has somebody done with something? spoken used to ask where someone has put something:
What have you done with the remote for the TV?
6 what is somebody doing with something? used to ask why someone has something:
What are you doing with my diary?
7 I cant be doing with something British English spoken used to say that you are annoyed by something
and do not want to have to think about it:
I cant be doing with all this right now.
do without phrasal verb
1 do without (something) to live or do something without a particular thing:
I dont have any sugar so youll have to do without.
You can do without a carpet but youve got to have somewhere to sit.
2 can do without something used to say that something is annoying you or causing you problems:
You can do without all that hassle.
Those are the type of stupid remarks I can do without.
get S1 W1 / et / verb (past tense got , past participle got / t $ t / British English , gotten / tn $ tn /
American English , present participle getting)
1 RECEIVE [transitive not in passive] to receive something that someone gives you or sends you:
She got loads of presents.
What did you get for Christmas?
We get a lot of junk mail.
get something from somebody
We got a letter from Pam this morning.
get something off somebody spoken informal:
I got it off my Dad.
I got a few games free when I bought my computer.
2 OBTAIN [transitive] to obtain something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it:
We need to get help quickly!
It would be a good idea to get professional advice.
You may be able to get a grant from the local authority.
He cleared his throat to get our attention.
get something for somebody
I want you to get some information for me.
get somebody something
His father managed to get him a job at the local factory.
3 BRING [transitive] to bring someone or something back from somewhere:
Run upstairs and get a pillow.
I went back into the office to get a pen.
Shall I go and get the phone book?
get somebody/something from something
Shes just gone to get the kids from school.
get something for somebody
Ill get a towel for you.
get somebody something
Ill get you a chair.
4 BUY [transitive]
a) to buy something:
Where did you get that jacket?
get something for somebody
Joes going to get tickets for all of us.
get somebody something
While youre out, could you get me some batteries?
get yourself something
Hes just got himself a new van.
get something from something
I usually get vegetables from the supermarket.
get something for $20/100/50p etc
You can get a decent PC for about 500 now.
Its a lovely coat, and I managed to get it cheap in the sales.
b) spoken to pay for something for someone else:
Ill get these drinks.
c) to buy a newspaper regularly:
My parents always used to get the Daily Telegraph.
5 MONEY [transitive]
a) to receive money for doing work:
Hospital doctors get a minimum of 50,000 a year.
get 2,000/$4,000 etc for doing something
He gets 4 an hour for stacking shelves.
b) to receive money when you sell something
get 100/$200 etc for something
You should get a couple of hundred pounds for your old car.
Did you get a good price for it?
6 HAVE A FEELING/IDEA [transitive] to start to have a feeling or an idea:
She began to get an uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched.
I got a terrible shock when I saw how ill he looked.
I got the impression that everyone was fed up with us.
get pleasure from/out of something
She gets a lot of pleasure from her garden.
7 HAVE/EXPERIENCE [transitive] to have, do, or experience something:
You dont get enough exercise.
I never get time to read these days.
The west of the country gets quite a lot of rain.
We might get the chance to go to America this year.
8 ILLNESS [transitive not in passive] to catch an illness:
I got flu last winter and was in bed for three weeks.
She was worried she might get food poisoning.
9 ACHIEVE [transitive] to achieve something:
I got 98% in my last maths test.
the person who gets the highest score
10 RECEIVE A PUNISHMENT [transitive] to receive something as a punishment:
He got ten years in prison for his part in the robbery.
11 ARRIVE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to arrive somewhere:
What time will we get there?
We didnt get home until midnight.
get to
We got to Paris that evening.
12 REACH A POINT [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to reach a particular point or stage of
something:
Ive got as far as chapter 5.
I couldnt wait to get to the end of the book.
Where have you got up to in the story?
It was disappointing to lose, having got this far in the competition.
13 get (somebody) somewhere/anywhere/nowhere if you get somewhere, or if an action gets you
somewhere, you make progress:
I think were getting somewhere at last.
We didnt seem to be getting anywhere.
Ive tried arguing, but it got me nowhere.
14 MOVE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move or go somewhere:
Get out of my house!
We managed to get past the guards.
They shouted at us to get back.
Peter got to his feet (= stood up).
15 MAKE SOMETHING MOVE [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make something or someone move
to a different place or position, especially with some difficulty:
I couldnt get the disk out of the computer.
Could you help me get the wardrobe up the stairs?
We must get food and emergency aid into the area as quickly as possible.
16 TRAVEL [transitive] to travel somewhere on a train, bus etc:
You can get a bus to the station.
I got the 9.15 from London to Edinburgh.
17 BECOME [linking verb] to change to a new feeling, situation, or state SYN become:
Dont get upset.
She soon got bored with the job.
He calmed down as he got older.
Eat your dinner before it gets cold.
This is getting silly.
get to be something informal:
Its getting to be a problem.
18 MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING BECOME SOMETHING [transitive] to make someone or something change
to a new feeling, situation, or state:
Sometimes she gets me so angry!
Dont get the children too excited.
He was terrified of getting her pregnant.
It took them 15 minutes to get the boat ready.
19 BE HURT/BROKEN ETC [linking verb, transitive] used to say that something, especially something bad,
happens to someone or something
get hurt/broken/stolen etc
You might get hurt if you stand there.
Mind the camera doesnt get broken.
My dad got killed in a car crash.
I knew I would get shouted at if I was late home.
This is a question we very often get asked.
get something caught/stuck etc
She got her foot caught in the wire.
20 MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [transitive]
a) to accidentally make someone or something experience something:
Youre going to get us all killed!
Mind you dont get yourself burned.
b) to do something, or arrange for it to be done:
I need to get the washing machine fixed.
We must get this work finished on time.
21 MAKE SOMETHING DO SOMETHING [transitive not in passive] to make something do a particular thing
get something to do something
I couldnt get the engine to start.
get something doing something
We got the lawn mower working again eventually.
22 MAKE SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING [transitive not in passive] to persuade or force someone to do
something
get somebody to do something
Ill get Terry to check the wiring for me.
We couldnt get him to sign the agreement.
get somebody doing something
In the end, we got the children clearing the playground.
23 UNDERSTAND [transitive not in passive or progressive] informal to understand something:
I dont think she got the joke.
I dont get it it doesnt make sense.
get what/how/who etc
I still dont get how she knew about the meeting.
24 COOK [transitive not in passive] to prepare food or a meal:
Shes just getting lunch.
get somebody something
Shall I get you a sandwich?
25 RADIO/TELEVISION [transitive not in passive or progressive] to be able to receive a particular radio signal,
television station etc:
Can you get satellite TV here?
26 ANSWER THE DOOR/TELEPHONE [transitive] informal to answer the door or telephone:
Can you get the phone?
27 CATCH SOMEBODY [transitive] to catch someone:
The police got him in the end.
28 HURT/KILL SOMEBODY [transitive] informal to attack, hurt, or kill someone:
The other gang members threatened to get him if he went to the police.
Ill get you for this!
29 TRICK SOMEBODY [transitive] informal to deceive or trick someone:
I got you that time!
30 ON THE TELEPHONE [transitive] if you get someone on the telephone, they answer the telephone when you
have made a call, and so you talk to them:
I tried phoning him at work, but I just got his secretary.
31 get doing something to begin doing something:
We got talking about the old days.
I think we should get going quite soon.
What are we all waiting for? Lets get moving!
32 get to do something informal to have the opportunity to do something:
We got to meet all the stars after the show.
She gets to travel all over the place with her job.
33 get to like/know/understand somebody/something to gradually begin to like, know, or understand
someone or something:
Itll take a while for you to get to know everyone.
After a while, I got to like him.
have got at HAVE 2
SPOKEN PHRASES
34 you get something used to say that something happens or exists:
I didnt know you got tigers in Europe.
35 youve got me (there) used to say you do not know the answer to something
36 it/what gets me used to say that something really annoys you:
It really gets me the way he leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor.
What gets me is their attitude.
37 get this especially American English used to draw attention to something surprising or interesting that you
are about to mention:
And the whole thing only cost get this $12.95.
THESAURUS
get [not in passive] to get something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it: Ive been trying to get some
information. | She went to the bank to get some money.
obtain formal to get something: Maps and guides can be obtained from the tourist office. | The newspaper
has obtained a copy of the letter.
acquire formal to get something used about knowledge, skills, or something big or expensive: The course
helps older people to acquire computing skills. | He acquired the property in 1985.
inherit to get someones money or property after they die: Jo inherited a lot of money from her mother.
gain to get something useful or necessary, such as knowledge or experience: Ive gained a lot of useful
experience. | The research helped us gain an insight into how a childs mind works.
earn to get something because you deserve it: He had earned a reputation as a peacemaker. | She earned a
lot of respect from her colleagues.
get hold of something informal to get something that is rare or difficult to find: Im trying to get hold of a
ticket for the game.
lay your hands on something informal to get something that you want very much or that you have spent a
lot of time looking for: I read every book I could lay my hands on.
get about phrasal verb British English
1 to go or travel to different places:
Shes 80 now, and doesnt get about much any more.
Hes got an old van which he uses for getting about.
2 if news or information gets about, it is told to a lot of people:
I dont really want this to get about.
get across phrasal verb
to succeed in communicating an idea or piece of information to someone, or to be communicated
successfully
get something across
It took him ages to get his point across.
We must get across the simple fact that drugs are dangerous.
The message isnt getting across.
get across to
It is important that we get this message across to voters.
get ahead phrasal verb
to be successful and do better than other people in a job or work:
She soon found that it wasnt easy to get ahead in the movie business.
get along phrasal verb
1 if two or more people get along, they have a friendly relationship:
Weve always got along quite well.
get along with
They seem to get along with each other.
2 to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:
Hows Sam getting along at university?
get along without
Dont worry, well get along without you.
3 I must/Id better be getting along spoken used to say that it is time for you to leave, for example because
you have something else to do spoken
get around phrasal verb
1 get around (something) to go or travel to different places:
We had to use public transport to get around.
Its quite easy to get around London.
2 if news or information gets around, it is told to a lot of people:
News of the accident soon got around.
Word got around that the department might be closed.
3 get around something to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:
I think we should be able to get around most of these problems.
She was always very clever at getting around the rules.
get around to something phrasal verb
to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:
I meant to phone her yesterday, but I never got around to it.
get around to doing something
We finally got around to clearing out the garage.
get at somebody/something phrasal verb
1 CRITICIZE to keep criticizing someone in an unkind way:
Why is he always getting at me?
He felt he was being got at by the other students.
2 be getting at something to be trying to say something in a way that is difficult for other people to
understand:
What are you getting at, Helen?
Do you see the point Im getting at?
3 REACH to be able to reach something:
We had to move the washing machine out to get at the wiring behind it.
4 INFORMATION to discover information, especially the truth about a situation:
I was determined to get at the truth.
5 THREATEN informal to use threats to influence the decision of people who are involved in a court case:
Do you think some of the jury have been got at?
get away phrasal verb
1 LEAVE to leave a place, especially when this is not easy:
The meeting dragged on, and I didnt get away until seven.
get away from
I like to get away from London at the weekend.
2 ON HOLIDAY informal to take a holiday away from the place you normally live:
Will you manage to get away this summer?
get away to
Were hoping to get away to Scotland for a few days.
3 ESCAPE to escape from someone who is chasing you or trying to catch you:
The three men got away in a stolen car.
get away from
We knew it wouldnt be easy to get away from the police.
get away with
The thieves got away with jewellery worth over 50,000.
4 get away! British English spoken used to say you are very surprised by something or do not believe it
5 the one that got away something good that you nearly had or that nearly happened
get away from somebody/something phrasal verb
1 to avoid something that is difficult or unpleasant for you, or something that limits what you can do in some
way:
I needed to get away from the pressures of work.
She wanted to get away from the traditional ideas of what theatre is about.
There is no getting away from this fact (= you cannot avoid or deny this fact).
2 to begin to talk about other things rather than the subject you are supposed to be discussing:
I think were getting away from the main issue.
3 get away from it all to have a relaxing holiday:
You need to get away from it all for a couple of weeks.
get away with something phrasal verb
1 to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong:
Watch Frank hell cheat if he thinks he can get away with it.
No one insults my family and gets away with it!
2 get away with murder informal to not be punished for doing something wrong:
Some of those children get away with murder!
3 to receive only a small punishment for something:
The charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she got away with three years in prison.
4 to do something without experiencing any problems or difficulties, even though it is not the best thing to
do:
At school he had always got away with doing the bare minimum amount of work.
The colours not quite right, but I think youll get away with it.
get back phrasal verb
1 RETURN to return to a place:
Ill talk to you when I get back.
get back to
He got back to the office just before lunchtime.
2 DO SOMETHING AGAIN to start doing something again or talking about something again
get back to
Lets get back to the main point of the discussion.
Well, I must get back to work.
get back into
Have you ever thought about getting back into teaching?
3 BE IN A STATE AGAIN to change to a previous state or condition again
get back to
Life was beginning to get back to normal.
I couldnt get back to sleep.
get back together
Do you think theyll get back together (= start having a relationship again) ?
4 GET SOMETHING AGAIN get something back to get something again after you have lost it or someone
else has taken it:
Did you get your books back?
5 PUNISH SOMEBODY get somebody back informal to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or
harmed you
get somebody back for
Ill get you back for this!
get back at somebody phrasal verb
to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you:
Hell probably go out with her just to get back at me.
get back to somebody phrasal verb informal
to talk to someone or telephone them later in order to answer a question or give them information:
Ill find out the prices and get back to you.
get behind phrasal verb
1 if you get behind with a job, payments, rent etc, you do not do or pay as much of it as you should have by a
particular time
get behind with
I dont want to get behind with my work.
You can always catch up later if you get behind.
2 get behind somebody informal to support someone:
The crowd really got behind them and cheered them on.
get by phrasal verb
to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more:
I dont earn a huge salary, but we get by.
get by on
Sometimes they had to get by on very little.
get down phrasal verb
1 MAKE SOMEBODY SAD get somebody down to make someone feel unhappy and tired:
His lack of social life was beginning to get him down.
2 WRITE SOMETHING DOWN get something down to write something, especially something that someone
is saying:
He was followed by a group of reporters trying to get down every word he said.
Its important to get things down on paper.
3 EAT/DRINK get something down (somebody) to eat or drink something, or persuade someone else to eat or
drink something:
I knew Id feel better once Id got some food down.
Get that tea down you.
He still says hes not hungry, and I cant get anything down him.
4 AFTER A MEAL British English to leave the table after a meal used by children or when you are talking to
children:
Please may I get down?
get down to something phrasal verb
to start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy:
Its time we got down to work.
We need to get down to some serious talking.
get down to doing something
I always find it hard to get down to revising.
get in phrasal verb
1 ENTER to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:
We managed to get in through a window.
The theatre was already full, and we couldnt get in.
2 ARRIVE if a train, plane etc gets in at a particular time, it arrives at that time:
What time does the bus get in?
get in to
We get in to Heathrow at ten o'clock.
3 GET HOME to arrive home:
We didnt get in until late.
What time do the boys get in from school?
4 BE ELECTED to be elected to a position of political power:
The Conservatives have promised to increase spending on health and education if they get in.
5 COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:
I applied to Bristol University, but I didnt get in.
6 BUY A SUPPLY get something in to buy a supply of something:
I must remember to get some food in for the weekend.
7 CROPS get something in to gather a crop and bring it to a sheltered place:
The whole village was involved with getting the harvest in.
8 ASK FOR WORKER get somebody in to ask someone to come to your home to do a job, especially to
repair something:
Well have to get a plumber in.
9 GIVE SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY get something in to send something to a particular place or give it to a
particular person:
Please can you get your essays in by Thursday.
Its best to get your insurance claim in as quickly as possible.
10 DO SOMETHING get something in to manage to do something even though you do not have much time:
Were hoping to get in a game of golf over the weekend.
get in on something phrasal verb informal
to become involved in something that other people are doing or planning:
Quite a few companies would like to get in on the project.
The scheme has proved very successful, and now other local authorities are keen to get in on the act (=
become involved in something exciting or interesting).
get in with somebody phrasal verb informal
to become friendly with someone:
He got in with a bad crowd and started getting into trouble.
get into something
1 ENTER to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:
The door was locked and we couldnt get into the house.
2 ARRIVE to arrive at a place:
What time do we get into New York?
3 BE ELECTED to be elected to a Parliament:
He first got into Parliament in 1982.
4 COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:
She got into UCLA.
5 TEAM to be made a member of a team:
Do you think you might get into the Olympic team this year?
6 START DOING SOMETHING to start doing or feeling something, or being in a particular situation:
Hes started getting into trouble at school.
My parents were always terrified of getting into debt.
She got into the habit of going for long walks by herself.
He got into a terrible temper and started throwing things around.
7 BECOME INVOLVED to begin to be involved in doing something:
How did you first get into script writing?
She was starting to get into politics.
8 ENJOY informal to begin to enjoy something or be interested in it:
I first got into jazz when I was at college.
9 CLOTHING informal to put on a piece of clothing, especially when this is difficult because the piece of
clothing is too small for you:
I dont know how she managed to get into those trousers.
10 whats got into somebody? spoken used to express surprise that someone is behaving very differently
from the way they usually behave:
I dont know whats got into Sally recently.
get off phrasal verb
1 LEAVE to leave a place, or to help someone to leave a place:
Well try and get off straight after lunch.
get off something
Get off my land!
get somebody off
Ill phone you as soon as Ive got the children off to school.
2 FINISH WORK get off (something) to finish work and leave the place where you work at the end of the day:
I usually get off at six o'clock.
What time do you get off work ?
3 SEND SOMETHING get something off to send a letter or package by post:
Ill have to get this letter off by tonight.
get something off to
Ill get the forms off to you today.
4 CLOTHING get something off to remove a piece of clothing:
Why dont you get those wet clothes off?
5 NOT BE PUNISHED if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive
only a small punishment:
In the end he got off because there wasnt enough evidence against him.
The police felt he had got off very lightly.
get off with
If youre lucky, youll get off with a fine.
6 HELP SOMEBODY NOT BE PUNISHED get somebody off to help someone avoid being punished for a crime:
Her lawyers were confident that they could get her off.
7 SLEEP get (somebody) off to go to sleep, or to help a child go to sleep:
I went to bed but couldnt get off to sleep.
It took us ages to get the baby off.
8 get off to a good/bad etc start to start in a particular way:
The day had got off to a bad start.
9 STOP TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING get off something to stop talking about a subject:
Can we get off the subject of death, please?
10 STOP TOUCHING SOMETHING get off (something/somebody) informal used to tell someone to stop
touching something or someone:
Get off me!
Get off those cakes, or therell be trouble.
Get off (= stop touching me) !
11 tell somebody where to get off informal to tell someone that they are asking you for too much or are
behaving in a way you will not accept:
He wanted 50, but I told him where to get off.
12 get off your butt/ass American English spoken not polite used to tell someone that they should stop being
lazy and start doing something useful
get off on something phrasal verb informal
to become excited by something, especially sexually excited
get off with somebody phrasal verb informal
to start a sexual relationship with someone:
She spent the whole evening trying to get off with Phil.
get on phrasal verb
1 LIKE SOMEBODY especially British English if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly
relationship with each other
get on with
Ive always got on well with Henry.
The two boys get on well most of the time.
2 PROGRESS to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:
How is George getting on at school?
get on with
How are you getting on with your essay?
get on without
I dont know how well get on without Michael.
3 CONTINUE DOING SOMETHING to continue doing something
get on with
Be quiet and get on with your work!
4 BE SUCCESSFUL to be successful in your job:
Youll have to work hard if you want to get on.
5 CLOTHING get something on to put a piece of clothing on:
I cant get my boots on!
6 be getting on
a) if time is getting on, it is quite late:
Come on, its getting on and we ought to go home.
I realized that time was getting on and we would have to hurry.
b) informal if someone is getting on, they are quite old
7 getting on for 90/10 o'clock/2,000 etc almost a particular age, time, number etc:
Mrs McIntyre must be getting on for 90 by now.
The total cost was getting on for $100,000.
8 get it on American English informal to have sex
9 get on with it! spoken used to tell someone to hurry:
Will you lot stop messing around and get on with it!
10 let somebody get on with it informal to let someone do something on their own, and not help them or tell
them what to do:
She wanted to decorate her room, so I just let her get on with it.
get onto somebody/something phrasal verb
1 SPEAK/WRITE TO SOMEBODY informal to speak or write to someone:
Ill get onto my lawyer about this.
2 LEARN ABOUT SOMEBODY informal to find out about someone who has been doing something wrong:
How did the police get onto him?
3 BE ELECTED to be elected as a member of a committee, a political organization etc:
She was quite keen to get onto the management committee.
4 TALK ABOUT SOMETHING to begin to talk about a subject after you have been discussing something else:
After a few minutes they got onto the subject of the election.
5 DO SOMETHING informal to start dealing with something:
Right, Ill get onto it straight away.
get out phrasal verb
1 LEAVE to leave a room or building:
You ought to get out into the fresh air.
Mary screamed at me to get out.
get out of
Get out of the kitchen!
2 ESCAPE to escape from a place:
Some of the animals had got out.
get out of
He was determined to get out of prison.
3 HELP SOMEBODY ESCAPE get somebody out to help someone leave a place or escape from a place:
Its important to get these people out as soon as possible.
get somebody out of
We knew it was going to be difficult to get him out of the country.
4 TAKE SOMETHING FROM A PLACE get something out to take something from the place where it is kept:
She got out her violin and started to play.
5 INFORMATION if information gets out, a lot of people then know it although it is meant to be secret:
We have to make absolutely certain that none of this gets out.
Its bound to get out that hes retiring soon.
6 PRODUCE SOMETHING get something out to produce a book or other product that can be sold to people:
Were hoping to get the new catalogue out next week.
7 SAY SOMETHING get something out to succeed in saying something, especially when this is very
difficult:
I wanted to tell him I loved him, but couldnt get the words out.
get out of something phrasal verb
1 AVOID DOING SOMETHING to avoid doing something you have promised to do or are supposed to do:
See if you can get out of that meeting tomorrow.
get out of doing something
Hes trying to get out of tidying his room.
2 STOP DOING SOMETHING to stop doing something or being involved in something:
I wanted to get out of teaching.
3 MAKE SOMEBODY GIVE/TELL YOU SOMETHING get something out of somebody to force or persuade
someone to tell you something or give you something:
I was determined to get the truth out of her.
4 ENJOY SOMETHING get something out of something to enjoy something you do or experience, or to learn
something as a result:
I hope he got something out of his visit.
get something out of doing something
Children can get a lot out of being involved in community projects.
get over
1 ILLNESS get over something to become well again after an illness:
Its taken me ages to get over the flu.
2 UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE get over something to begin to feel better after a very upsetting experience:
She never got over the death of her son.
3 IDEAS/INFORMATION get something over to succeed in communicating ideas or information to other
people
get something over to
Its important that we get this message over to young people.
4 FINISH SOMETHING get something over (also get something over with) to do and finish something
difficult that you have to do:
Ill be in touch once Ive got my exams over.
I cant wait to get the interview over with.
5 PROBLEM/DIFFICULTY get over something to successfully deal with a problem or difficulty:
I dont know how were going to get over this problem.
Once weve got over the first few months, we should be making a reasonable profit.
6 cant/couldnt get over something spoken used to say that you are very surprised, shocked, or amused by
something:
I cant get over how well you look.
get round phrasal verb British English
1 if news or information gets round, it is told to a lot of people:
News like this soon gets round.
2 get round something to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:
Most companies manage to get round the restrictions.
3 get round somebody to gently persuade someone to do what you want by being nice to them:
I know how to get round Chris.
get round to something phrasal verb British English
to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:
I keep meaning to put a lock on it, but I never get round to it.
get round to doing something
I havent got round to unpacking from my holiday yet.
get through phrasal verb
1 DO WORK get through something to do an amount of work:
We got through half the application forms this morning.
Weve got a lot of work to get through.
2 USE SOMETHING get through something informal to use a lot of something:
You wouldnt believe the amount of food children can get through in a week!
3 SPEND MONEY get through something informal to spend a lot of money:
He can get through 100 in one evening.
4 DIFFICULT TIME get (somebody) through something to come successfully to the end of an unpleasant
experience or period of time, or to help someone do this:
I dont know how were going to get through the winter.
It was their love that got me through those first difficult months.
5 TEST/COMPETITION get (somebody/something) through (something) to be successful in a test or
competition, or to make sure that someone or something is successful:
I finally managed to get through my driving test.
I knew it was going to be difficult to get the car through its MOT test.
get (somebody/something) through (something) to
Liverpool have got through to the final of the FA Cup.
6 REACH A PERSON/PLACE to reach a place or person that is difficult to reach
get through to
Aid agencies have been unable to get through to the thousands of refugees stranded on the border.
7 BY TELEPHONE to succeed in speaking to someone on the telephone:
I tried phoning her office, but I couldnt get through.
get through to
At last I managed to get through to one of the managers.
8 NEW LAW get (something) through (something) if a new law gets through parliament, or if someone gets
it through, it is officially approved:
Anti-hunting legislation will never get through the House of Lords.
Once again we failed to get the Bill through Parliament.
get (something) through to somebody phrasal verb
to succeed in making someone understand something, especially when this is difficult:
I couldnt seem to get through to her.
How can I get it through to him that this is really important?
get to somebody/something phrasal verb informal
1 to make someone feel annoyed or upset:
Im under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit.
Dont let things get to you.
2 get to thinking/wondering something informal to start thinking something:
He got to thinking how disappointed his parents would be.
get together phrasal verb
1 if people get together, they meet in order to spend time with each other:
We must get together for a drink.
2 if two people get together, they start a romantic or sexual relationship
3 get something together to collect things together:
I need to get some paperwork together for the meeting.
4 get somebody together to bring people together to make a group:
He got together a group of local businessmen to discuss the problem.
5 get something together to succeed in getting enough money to do or buy something:
Were trying to get together enough money to buy a flat.
6 get something together informal to change your life so that it is organized and you are in control of it:
Hes just trying to get his life together at the moment.
get yourself together
Im staying with my parents for a while, until Ive got myself together a bit.
7 get it together spoken to be organized and successful in your life, job etc:
The government cant seem to get it together on the environment.
get up phrasal verb
1 get (somebody) up to get out of your bed after sleeping, or to make someone get out of their bed:
We didnt get up until lunchtime.
Get me up at seven, would you?
2 to stand up:
He got up and walked over to the window.
3 if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger
4 be got up as/in something British English informal to be dressed in particular clothes:
He arrived at the party got up as Count Dracula.
The men were all got up in suits.
5 get it up informal to get an ERECTION (1)
get up to something phrasal verb
to do something, especially something slightly bad:
Go upstairs and see what the kids are getting up to.
What did you get up to at the weekend?