put on — gain weight
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to become heavier, especially by gaining a stated amount of weight
Say it like a native
Textbook I have increased in body mass over the winter.
Native I put on a bit of weight over winter.
'Put on weight' is the everyday phrase; 'increased in body mass' is clinical and odd in speech.
Pattern: put on weight / put on a few kilos
In use
- I put on a bit of weight over the holidays.health
- A lot of people put on weight in winter because they exercise less and eat heavier food.IELTS Part 3
Common mistake
✗ I put up some weight recently.
✓ I put on some weight recently.
It's 'put ON weight', not 'put up'. The opposite is 'lose weight'.
Common collocations
put on + weight— weight, a few kilos, a bit of weight
Don't confuse it
About body weight, not about getting dressed.
Related
- put on (wear) — Same phrasal verb; this one is about weight, the other about clothes.