pick up — acquire illness or habit
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To get an illness or habit, often by accident or without trying.
Say it like a native
Textbook I contracted a cold during the flight.
Native I picked up a cold on the flight.
'Contracted' is medical/formal. In everyday speech natives 'pick up' colds, bugs and habits — by chance, usually unwanted.
Pattern: pick (something) up
In use
- He picked up a cold during his trip to London.health
- People can easily pick up bad habits if they spend time with the wrong crowd.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I picked up a new language to boost my career.
✓ I learned a new language to boost my career.
This sense is accidental and negative. Deliberate, goal-driven gain is 'learn', not this 'pick up'.
Common collocations
pick up + illness/habit— a cold, a bug, a bad habit, an accent
Don't confuse it
Not about collecting objects or learning skills.
Related
- pick up (collect) — Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.