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Meaning trap

cut off from

emotionally isolated

To feel or be made to feel emotionally isolated or deprived of support, connection, or belonging, especially within a group, family, or community.

phrasal verbC1occasional

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

emotionally isolated

To feel or be made to feel emotionally isolated or deprived of support, connection, or belonging, especially within a group, family, or community.

cut off from (to be separated from something or someone)

'cut off from' also has the more basic meaning 'to be separated from something or someone'; this is the advanced sense.

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Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • After moving to a new city, she felt completely cut off from her old friends and family.emotions
  • Many elderly people report feeling cut off from society, which can have a significant impact on their mental well-being.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: be/feel cut off from + noun (e.g. family, friends, support)

WrongI feel cut off of everyone here.

RightI feel cut off from everyone here.

Always 'cut off FROM', not 'of'.

Patternbe/feel cut off from + noun (e.g. family, friends, support)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff Since moving abroad, I have felt emotionally disconnected from my family.

Natural Since moving abroad, I've felt really cut off from my family.

'Cut off from' captures emotional isolation plainly; 'emotionally disconnected from' is therapy-brochure language.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • feel cut off from
    from everyonefrom the worldfrom my familyisolated

Don't confuse it

Unlike the B1 sense, which refers to being physically separated or unable to access something, this sense is figurative and focuses on feelings of emotional distance or lack of support.

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