14 Phrasal Verbs That Express Emotions in English

Hello, English learners! In today’s lesson, we will look at 14 phrasal verbs that express emotions.

If you want to sound more natural in English, phrasal verbs are well worth learning. They are extremely common in everyday speech, films, TV series, and informal writing. In fact, native speakers use them all the time, often without even thinking about it.

Phrasal verbs can be tricky because their meanings are not always obvious from the individual words. However, once you learn them in context, they become much easier to understand and remember.

In today’s lesson, we’ll look at 14 useful phrasal verbs that express emotions. Some describe how we feel, while others describe how emotions affect our behaviour. Learning them will help you understand spoken English better and express yourself in a more natural, fluent way.

Let’s get started.

1. Bottle up

If you bottle up your feelings, you keep them inside instead of expressing them.

People often bottle up emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, or resentment.

Examples:

• If you feel upset, it is usually better to talk than to bottle up your emotions.
• He had been bottling up his anger for years.
• They were taught never to show fear, so they bottled it up.

2. Calm down

If you calm down, you become less angry, nervous, or excited. You can also calm someone down.

Examples:

• Ryan took a few deep breaths to calm down after the argument.
• She was so upset that it took her friend a while to calm her down.
• Just sit quietly for a moment and try to calm down.

3. Cheer up

If you cheer up, you start to feel happier. If you cheer someone up, you make them feel happier.

We can also use it for places and surroundings.

Examples:

• When he saw his mum at the airport, he cheered up immediately.
• After Martin lost his job, his friends took him out to cheer him up.
• A few plants would really cheer up this room.

4. Crack up

If someone cracks up, they become unable to think or behave sensibly because of stress, pressure, or emotional difficulty.

It can also mean to suddenly burst out laughing in informal English, but here we are focusing on the emotional meaning.

Examples:

• If you keep working without a break, you’ll crack up sooner or later.
• After months of pressure, he finally cracked up.
• She nearly cracked up under the strain of looking after everyone.

5. Freak out

If you freak out, you become very anxious, scared, shocked, or overly excited. If something freaks you out, it causes that reaction.

Examples:

• Going to the dentist used to freak me out when I was little.
• Michael completely freaked out when he found out he was going to be a father.
• Don’t freak out — it’s probably nothing serious.
• That strange noise in the attic really freaked me out.

6. Let down

If you let someone down, you disappoint them.

This phrasal verb is often used when someone fails to do what was expected of them.

Examples:

• Brenda felt she had let her parents down when she dropped out of university.
• I promised I’d help, and I don’t want to let you down.
• He had been let down too many times in the past and found it hard to trust people.

7. Light up

If your face or eyes light up, they suddenly show happiness, excitement, or pleasure.

Examples:

• Karen’s face lit up when she saw her husband in the crowd.
• His eyes lit up at the sight of the birthday cake.
• The little girl’s face lit up when she opened the present.

8. Take out on

If you take your feelings out on someone, you treat them badly because you are angry or upset about something else.

Examples:

• I’m sorry I took my frustration out on you yesterday.
• He had had a terrible day at work and took it out on his family.
• It isn’t fair to take your stress out on other people.

9. Tear up

If you tear up, your eyes fill with tears and you begin to cry.

Examples:

• She started to tear up during the final scene of the film.
• His eyes tore up when he said goodbye.
• I always tear up when I hear that song.

10. Open up

If you open up, you begin to talk more honestly about your feelings or personal problems.

Examples:

• It took him a long time to open up about what he had been through.
• She rarely opens up to people she doesn’t know well.
• Once he started talking, he really opened up.

11. Break down

If someone breaks down, they lose control emotionally and start crying or become unable to cope.

Examples:

• She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
• He tried to stay strong, but eventually he broke down.
• After weeks of stress, she finally broke down at work.

12. Choke up

If you choke up, you become so emotional that it becomes difficult to speak.

Examples:

• He choked up while thanking everyone for their support.
• I always choke up when I talk about my grandmother.
• She started to choke up halfway through her speech.

13. Lash out

If you lash out, you suddenly express anger, often by shouting or criticising someone.

Examples:

• He was feeling hurt and embarrassed, so he lashed out at the people around him.
• She lashed out in frustration after hearing the unfair comments.
• When people are under pressure, they sometimes lash out without meaning to.

14. Perk up

If you perk up, you become more cheerful, lively, or energetic.

Examples:

• She perked up as soon as she heard the good news.
• He looked tired all morning, but a cup of tea soon made him perk up.
• The children perked up when they heard they were going to the seaside.

Quick summary

Here is a simple overview of the phrasal verbs from this lesson:

• bottle up = hide your feelings
• calm down = become less upset or angry
• cheer up = become happier
• crack up = lose emotional control because of stress
• freak out = become very anxious, scared, or excited
• let down = disappoint someone
• light up = show happiness on your face
• take out on = direct your anger at the wrong person
• tear up = begin to cry
• open up = talk honestly about your feelings
• break down = lose control emotionally
• choke up = become too emotional to speak clearly
• lash out = react angrily
• perk up = become more cheerful or lively

Common learner tip

When learning phrasal verbs, do not just memorise the meaning on its own. Learn:

• the phrasal verb
• the kind of emotion it expresses
• one or two natural example sentences

That way, you will remember not only what it means, but also how to use it correctly.

For example, it is much easier to remember bottle up your feelings or cheer someone up than to memorise the verb in isolation.

Final thoughts

Phrasal verbs are a very important part of natural English, especially when talking about feelings and reactions. They make your English sound less textbook-like and more real.

Some of the phrasal verbs in this lesson describe emotions directly, such as tear up, freak out, and perk up. Others describe how we deal with emotions, such as bottle up, open up, and take it out on someone.

Try choosing five of these phrasal verbs and writing your own sentences with them. That is one of the best ways to move them from passive vocabulary into active vocabulary.

After all, emotions are part of everyday life — and English has plenty of colourful ways to talk about them.

FAQ 

What are phrasal verbs that express emotions?
They are phrasal verbs used to describe feelings, emotional reactions, or the way people deal with emotions, such as cheer up, bottle up, and break down.

Why are phrasal verbs important in English?
Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken and informal English. Learning them helps you understand native speakers better and sound more natural.

What is the meaning of “bottle up”?
Bottle up means to hide your feelings instead of expressing them.

What does “cheer up” mean?
Cheer up means to become happier or to make someone feel happier.

Are phrasal verbs useful for Cambridge exams?
Yes. Phrasal verbs can improve your vocabulary range and help you sound more natural in speaking and writing tasks in exams such as B2 First and C1 Advanced.

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