Health Phrasal Verbs

  • Abide by (doctor’s orders):
    • Meaning: To follow or adhere to the instructions given by a medical professional.
      • Sample sentence: It’s crucial to abide by the doctor’s orders to ensure a speedy recovery.
  • Break out in (something):
    • Meaning: To suddenly develop a skin condition or rash.
      • Sample sentence: After using a new skincare product, she broke out in hives.
  • Call off (an appointment):
    • Meaning: To cancel or reschedule a planned medical appointment.
      • Sample sentence: Due to a sudden emergency, I had to call off my dentist appointment.
  • Come down with (an illness):
    • Meaning: To contract or develop an illness.
      • Sample sentence: I think I’m coming down with the flu; I have a fever and body aches.
  • Ease off (pain):
    • Meaning: To reduce in intensity or severity, often related to pain.
      • Sample sentence: The medication helped ease off the pain in my back.
  • Fight off (an infection):
    • Meaning: To resist or defend against an infection or illness.
      • Sample sentence: Adequate rest and a healthy diet can help your body fight off common infections.
  • Get over (an illness):
    • Meaning: To recover from an illness.
      • Sample sentence: It took me a week to get over the cold and feel better.
  • Hold back (tears):
    • Meaning: To suppress or restrain emotions, such as crying.
      • Sample sentence: She tried to hold back her tears during the emotional doctor’s appointment.
  • Keep up with (medication):
    • Meaning: To take medicine regularly or as prescribed.
      • Sample sentence: It’s essential to keep up with your medication to manage chronic conditions effectively.
  • Look into (a health issue):
    • Meaning: To investigate or research a health concern.
      • Sample sentence: The doctor will look into the unusual symptoms and conduct further tests.
  • Pass out (from exhaustion):
    • Meaning: To lose consciousness due to extreme fatigue or exhaustion.
      • Sample sentence: After running a marathon, he nearly passed out from exhaustion.
  • Put on (weight):
    • Meaning: To gain body weight.
      • Sample sentence: Despite a healthy diet, some people struggle to put on weight due to a fast metabolism.
  • Recover from (surgery):
    • Meaning: To heal and regain health after a surgical procedure.
      • Sample sentence: It took several weeks for her to recover from the knee surgery.
  • Show up (for an appointment):
    • Meaning: To attend or arrive at a scheduled medical appointment.
      • Sample sentence: Please make sure to show up for your annual check-up on time.
  • Take up (a fitness routine):
    • Meaning: To start or adopt a regular exercise regimen.
      • Sample sentence: I decided to take up jogging as a part of my fitness routine.
  • Undergo (treatment):
    • Meaning: To experience or endure a specific medical procedure or therapy.
      • Sample sentence: The patient will undergo chemotherapy as part of cancer treatment.
  • Vouch for (someone’s health):
    • Meaning: To confirm or guarantee the well-being of someone.
      • Sample sentence: The doctor can vouch for the patient’s improved health since starting the new medication.
  • Wake up to (the importance of health):
    • Meaning: To become aware of or recognize the significance of maintaining good health.
      • Sample sentence: After a health scare, she woke up to the importance of regular exercise and a balanced diet.
  • X-ray (a body part):
    • Meaning: To use X-ray imaging to examine and diagnose issues in a specific body part.
      • Sample sentence: The doctor recommended X-raying the injured ankle to assess the extent of the damage.
  • Zero in on (a health problem):
    • Meaning: To focus or target a specific health issue for examination or treatment.
      • Sample sentence: The medical team will zero in on the source of the patient’s chronic pain.