Phrasal describes something made up of or relating to a phrase, which is a group of words that work together as a unit. In grammar, you'll most often hear about phrasal verbs, which are verbs that combine with other words to create new meanings.

For example, “look” is a simple verb, but “look up,” “look after,” and “look down on” are phrasal verbs with completely different meanings. When you look up a word in the dictionary, you're not literally looking upward. When you look after your little brother, you're not staring at him. The verb and the word following it combine to create a new meaning that often can't be guessed from the individual words alone.

Phrasal verbs can be tricky because they're so common in English but don't always follow logical patterns. “Turn down” can mean reject an offer, lower the volume, or fold something over. “Break down” can mean stop working, analyze something, or start crying. Understanding that these are phrasal constructions helps you recognize them as special units rather than puzzling over why the individual words don't seem to make sense together.

Native English speakers use phrasal verbs constantly without thinking about it, but learners of English often find them challenging because the meanings can feel arbitrary.