Phrasal Verbs to Express Emotions and Feelings
Phrasal verbs are a vital part of English vocabulary.
They are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs to create new meanings. Learning phrasal verbs can greatly improve your ability to express emotions and feelings in English.
In this post, I’ll teach you some common phrasal verbs related to emotions and feelings, their meanings, and how to use them.
Why Learn Phrasal Verbs for Emotions?
Phrasal verbs allow us to speak naturally and clearly. They are often used in daily conversations and make your English sound more fluent. For example, instead of saying “I felt very happy,” you could say, “I lit up.” It’s shorter, expressive, and commonly understood by native speakers.
Let’s dive into the most useful phrasal verbs to describe emotions and feelings.
Phrasal Verbs for Happiness and Excitement
1. Light up
2. Cheer up
- Meaning: To become or make someone feel happier.
- Example: Don’t be sad—cheer up!
3. Perk up
- Meaning: To feel more energetic or happier.
- Example: He perked up after hearing the good news.
4. Jump for joy
- Meaning: To show happiness through physical actions.
- Example: She jumped for joy when she got the job offer.
5. Brighten up
- Meaning: To become happier or to make something happier or more cheerful.
- Example: The good weather really brightened up her mood.
Phrasal Verbs for Sadness and Disappointment
6. Break down
- Meaning: To start crying or feel overwhelmed by sadness.
- Example: She broke down after hearing the bad news.
7. Let down
- Meaning: To disappoint someone.
- Example: I felt let down when my friend canceled our plans.
8. Feel down
- Meaning: To feel sad or unhappy.
- Example: I’ve been feeling down since my team lost the match.
9. Bring down
- Meaning: To make someone feel sad.
- Example: The negative feedback brought him down.
10. Choke up
- Meaning: To feel emotional and unable to speak.
- Example: He choked up while giving his farewell speech.
Phrasal Verbs for Anger and Frustration
11. Blow up
12. Tick off
13. Freak out
- Meaning: To become very upset or angry suddenly.
- Example: She freaked out when she realized she lost her wallet.
14. Get to
15. Go off
- Meaning: To suddenly shout or complain angrily.
- Example: He went off on his coworkers during the meeting.
Phrasal Verbs for Love and Affection
16. Fall for
17. Warm up to
- Meaning: To gradually become more comfortable or friendly with someone.
- Example: It took her a while to warm up to her new classmates.
18. Care for
- Meaning: To have feelings of love or affection for someone.
- Example: He really cares for his childhood friend.
19. Hit it off
- Meaning: To quickly become good friends or feel a connection with someone.
- Example: They hit it off on their first date.
20. Look up to
- Meaning: To admire or respect someone deeply.
- Example: She has always looked up to her elder sister.
Phrasal Verbs for Fear and Worry
21. Chicken out
- Meaning: To decide not to do something because of fear.
- Example: He chickened out of giving the speech at the last minute.
22. Freak out
- Meaning: To feel extremely scared or worried.
- Example: She freaked out when she saw the spider.
23. Stress out
24. Lose sleep over
- Meaning: To worry a lot about something.
- Example: Don’t lose sleep over the small stuff.
25. Dwell on
- Meaning: To focus too much on something negative.
- Example: Stop dwelling on your mistakes and move on.
Phrasal Verbs for Calmness and Relief
26. Calm down
- Meaning: To become or make someone less angry or excited.
- Example: Take a deep breath and calm down.
27. Cool off
28. Let go of
- Meaning: To release negative feelings or grudges.
- Example: It’s time to let go of the past and move on.
29. Ease up
- Meaning: To become less tense or strict.
- Example: The teacher eased up when she saw the students trying their best.
30. Chill out
- Meaning: To relax or take it easy.
- Example: Let’s chill out and watch a movie this evening.
Phrasal Verbs for Confusion and Surprise
31. Throw off
- Meaning: To confuse or surprise someone.
- Example: His unexpected question threw me off.
32. Catch off guard
- Meaning: To surprise someone in an unexpected way.
- Example: Her sudden appearance caught me off guard.
33. Mix up
- Meaning: To confuse one thing with another.
- Example: I always mix up their names.
34. Take aback
- Meaning: To surprise or shock someone.
- Example: I was taken aback by her kind gesture.
35. Knock out
- Meaning: To impress or surprise someone greatly.
- Example: His performance completely knocked me out.
How to Practice These Phrasal Verbs
1. Use Them in Sentences
Write your own sentences using each phrasal verb. For example, “I need to cheer up after a long day.”
2. Watch Movies and Listen to Conversations
Phrasal verbs are commonly used in movies and TV shows. Pay attention to how they’re used in context.
3. Speak Regularly
Try using these phrasal verbs in your daily conversations. Practice makes perfect!
4. Make Flashcards
Create flashcards with the phrasal verb on one side and its meaning on the other. Review them often.
5. Learn in Groups
Group similar phrasal verbs together (e.g., all phrasal verbs for happiness). This makes them easier to remember.
Final Thoughts
Phrasal verbs are an excellent way to express your emotions and feelings more effectively.
They add depth and variety to your language and help you sound more natural when speaking English.
Start practicing these phrasal verbs today, and you’ll see a big improvement in your communication skills.
Happy learning! 
