When it comes to discussing health, it’s not just about medical terms or complex language—using the right phrasal verbs for talking about health can make your conversations flow more naturally. Whether you’re chatting with a friend about feeling under the weather or explaining a recovery process to a doctor, phrasal verbs play a huge role in making your communication clearer and more relatable. In this guide, we’ll walk you through essential health-related phrasal verbs, helping you sound more like a native speaker while discussing everything from sickness and recovery to lifestyle changes. Let’s dive in!
30 Phrasal Verbs for Talking About Health
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Dose up
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Meaning: To take a large amount of medicine or supplements.
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Example: “I had to dose up on vitamin C to fight off the cold.”
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Cut down on
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Meaning: To reduce the amount of something, especially unhealthy habits.
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Example: “You should cut down on fatty foods to lower your cholesterol.”
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Come down with
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Meaning: To become ill with a particular disease.
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Example: “I think I’m coming down with the flu after being around sick people.”
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Work out
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Meaning: To engage in physical exercise for fitness.
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Example: “She works out at the gym three times a week.”
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Swell up
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Meaning: To become enlarged or swollen due to an injury or infection.
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Example: “My ankle started to swell up after I twisted it.”
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Throw up
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Meaning: To vomit.
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Example: “The food didn’t sit well with me, and I had to throw up.”
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Break out
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Meaning: To develop a rash, acne, or skin condition.
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Example: “He broke out in hives after eating seafood.”
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Pass out
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Meaning: To lose consciousness; to faint.
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Example: “She passed out from dehydration after running in the heat.”
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Look after
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Meaning: To care for someone or something.
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Example: “He looks after his elderly mother after her surgery.”
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Give up
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Meaning: To stop doing something harmful or unhealthy.
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Example: “I decided to give up smoking for my health.”
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Put on
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Meaning: To gain weight.
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Example: “She put on a few pounds after the holidays.”
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Cut out
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Meaning: To eliminate something from your routine, usually for health reasons.
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Example: “I’ve cut out sugary drinks to improve my health.”
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Get over
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Meaning: To recover from an illness or injury.
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Example: “It took me a week to get over the flu.”
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Break down
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Meaning: To suffer from a mental or emotional collapse.
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Example: “He broke down after the stressful week at work.”
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Build up
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Meaning: To increase or strengthen something, especially physical strength or immunity.
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Example: “You need to build up your stamina if you’re going to run a marathon.”
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Burnout out
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Meaning: To exhaust yourself physically or mentally.
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Example: “She burned out from working long hours without rest.”
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Come around
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Meaning: To recover consciousness after being unconscious or fainting.
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Example: “He came around after a few minutes and felt much better.”
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Ease off
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Meaning: To reduce the intensity of pain or illness.
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Example: “The pain started to ease off after I took the medicine.”
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Lash out
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Meaning: To aggressively express frustration or anger, often due to poor health or stress.
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Example: “He lashed out at his coworkers because he was feeling ill.”
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Fight off
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Meaning: To resist or overcome an illness or infection.
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Example: “I’m trying to fight off a cold with rest and fluids.”
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Pull through
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Meaning: To recover from a serious illness or injury.
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Example: “The doctor says she will pull through after the surgery.”
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Come to
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Meaning: To regain consciousness after fainting or being unconscious.
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Example: “He came to after a few minutes of being knocked out.”
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Wind down
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Meaning: To relax or rest after physical or emotional activity.
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Example: “After a long day at work, it’s important to wind down and de-stress.”
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Bounce back
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Meaning: To recover quickly from illness or adversity.
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Example: “She bounced back from the flu in just a few days.”
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Bring up
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Meaning: To vomit or expel food from the stomach.
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Example: “He brought up his dinner after the food poisoning.”
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Feel up to
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Meaning: To have the energy or strength to do something, especially when ill.
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Example: “I’m not feeling up to going to the gym today.”
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Throw off
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Meaning: To recover from a slight illness or discomfort.
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Example: “I’m hoping this headache will throw off soon.”
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Check up on
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Meaning: To investigate or assess someone’s health or condition.
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Example: “The nurse checked up on my condition after surgery.”
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Get by
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Meaning: To manage despite illness or difficulty.
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Example: “He’s been able to get by despite feeling under the weather.”
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Slip up
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Meaning: To make a mistake or error, often related to health behaviors.
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Example: “I slipped up and ate too much junk food last night.”
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20 Exercise Sentences using phrasal verbs for talking about health
Exercise:
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I need to ________ on junk food if I want to lose weight.
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She’s feeling sick, and I think she’s about to ________.
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I’m trying to ________ my flu by taking plenty of rest.
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After the accident, his leg started to ________.
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I’m going to ________ more vitamins to help my immune system.
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He was feeling dizzy and then ________ for a moment.
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The doctor said I should ________ smoking for better health.
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I had to ________ on my workout routine because of my injury.
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You should ________ sugary snacks to improve your health.
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My skin began to ________ when I touched the poison ivy.
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I decided to ________ caffeine because it was making me anxious.
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After the long run, I feel like I need to ________ and relax.
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She started to ________ a cold after being exposed to the virus.
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He’s been feeling ill, but he’s slowly starting to ________.
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I need to ________ on stress if I want to stay healthy.
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She had to ________ her routine to recover from the flu.
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If you don’t rest, you might ________ and feel worse.
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I’m trying to ________ my body after the workout.
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It took him weeks to ________ after the surgery.
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The doctor will ________ on my condition every day while I’m in the hospital.
Answers:
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cut down
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throw up
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fight off
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swell up
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dose up
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pass out
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give up
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cut down
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cut out
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break out
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cut out
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wind down
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come down with
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bounce back
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ease off
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cut out
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burn out
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build up
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get over
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check up
Conclusion On phrasal verbs for talking about health
Using phrasal verbs for talking about health not only makes your conversations sound more natural but also helps you express yourself more clearly when discussing your well-being. From explaining symptoms to sharing how you’re recovering, these phrasal verbs allow you to speak with confidence and ease. By incorporating them into your daily vocabulary, you’ll be able to better navigate health-related conversations, whether you’re speaking with a doctor or chatting with friends. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll find yourself using these expressions effortlessly to talk about your health in a way that feels authentic and relatable.
