come around — regain consciousness
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutraloccasional
to wake up or become conscious again after being unconscious or fainting.
Say it like a native
Textbook He regained consciousness a few minutes later.
Native He came around a few minutes later.
'Regained consciousness' is medical/written; everyday speech is 'come around' (or 'come round' / 'come to').
Pattern: come around (after + event)
In use
- He fainted at the gym but came around after a few minutes.health
- During the marathon, one runner collapsed but came around quickly thanks to the medical team.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She slowly came around her senses.
✓ She slowly came around.
Don't add 'her senses' — 'come around' (or 'come to') stands alone.
Common collocations
come around + after/from— after the operation, from the anaesthetic, slowly, a few minutes later
Don't confuse it
'Wake up' is for sleep; 'come around' is for unconsciousness.
Related
- come around (visit (someone's home)) — Another meaning of 'come around' is 'visit (someone's home)'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.