English phrasal verbs are multi-word verbs that combine verbs and prepositions or adverbs to create new verbs with a separate meaning from the words individually. Phrasal verbs are used in every day life allow a level of flexibility to the English language where people can invent new verbs to create a new expression.

Phrasal verbs examples include words such as hit on, add up, knock out, and phase out. For the most part these words are used in informal speech or otherwise shorten an otherwise lengthy phrase. In the case of the sentence; “I hope I get over this cold quickly, I want to hang out with my friends,” the words “get over” and “hang out” are phrasal verbs. The phrases convey the meaning of this person’s desire to recover from a cold so he or she can do something with her or his friends.

A phrasal verb can be difficult in a sense as more often or not, it often won’t be found in a dictionary and the individual words which make up the phrasal verb are seldom is used in the same way. Phrasal verbs lists and phrasal verbs dictionary will allow a writer or speaker to locate or define the phrasal verb to convey the meaning that he or she wishes to express.