English Phrasal Verbs
Alphabetical list I-J-K of commonly-used phrasal verbs.
Phrasal Verbs beginning with the letter 'I', 'J' or 'K'
- ice over
- Become covered with a layer of ice
"The temperatures suddenly dropped so low that the lake iced over."
- Become covered with a layer of ice
- idle away
- Waste time doing nothing much.
"He idles away hours every day watching television."
- Waste time doing nothing much.
- impose on/upon
- Ask too much of someone.
"Is it alright if I stay? I don't want to impose upon your hospitabity."
- Ask too much of someone.
- improve on/upon
- Make better.
The runner trained regularly to improve on his previous performance.
- Make better.
- indulge in
- Allow yourself to enjoy something.
"I’ve been dieting all week but today I'm going to indulge in a dessert."
- Allow yourself to enjoy something.
- insure against
- Guarantee compensation for damage, injury, etc.
"The passengers on the boat are all fully insured."
- Guarantee compensation for damage, injury, etc.
- invite out
- Ask someone to join you for lunch, dinner, etc.
"Harry invited her out for dinner."
- Ask someone to join you for lunch, dinner, etc.
- iron out
- Resolve or eliminate problems/difficulties through discussion.
"The meeting tomorrow will be an opportunity to iron out difficulties."
- Resolve or eliminate problems/difficulties through discussion.
- issue forth
- Come or flow out of somewhere.
"A great quantity of water issued forth from the pipe when it burst."
"A large number of declarations issued forth from political leaders after the invasion."
- Come or flow out of somewhere.
- join in
- Participate in something.
"We couldn't persuade Eva to join in the game. She was too shy."
- Participate in something.
- join up
- Engage in, become a member of.
"John was in the army and Tom joined up as soon as he left school."
- Meet and unite with.
"The two groups of tourists joined up at the hotel."
- Engage in, become a member of.
- jot down
- Take quick notes.
"I jotted down the address while watching a documentary on television. "
- Take quick notes.
- keep at
- Persevere.
"His father encouraged him to keep at his studies."
- Persevere.
- keep back
- Retain; force to stay back.
"A barrier will be installed to keep back the fans."
- Retain; force to stay back.
- keep in
- Retain; not let someone or something out.
"We keep in the dog when the postman arrives."
- Retain; not let someone or something out.
- keep on
- Continue doing something.
"I told the children to be quiet but they kept on making noise."
- Continue doing something.
- keep up with
- Stay at the same level as someone or something.
"Bill walks so fast it's difficult to keep up with him."
- Stay at the same level as someone or something.
- kneel down
- Go down on your knees.
"Most people kneel down to pray."
- Go down on your knees.
- kick off
- Begin; start.
"The football match is planned to kick off at 3 p.m."
- Begin; start.
- knock back
- Drink quickly (usually alcohol).
"He knocked back a pint of beer and then went home."
- Drink quickly (usually alcohol).
- knock down
- Strike someone or something to the ground.
"The child was knocked down by a car on the way to school."
"The tree was knocked down during the storm."
- Strike someone or something to the ground.
- knock out
- Cause someone to fall unconscious.
"The boxer was knocked out in the first round."
- Cause someone to fall unconscious.
- know of
- Have heard of; have knowledge about.
"Do you know of anyone else attending the conference?"
- Have heard of; have knowledge about.
More Phrasal Verbs: