idiom · informal
pick up a bug
/pɪk ʌp ə bʌɡ/pick·up·a·BUG
speakingtask2
to catch a minor illness, usually an infection like a cold or stomach bug
Examples
“I think I picked up a bug on the train; I’ve had a sore throat since yesterday.”
“If you travel a lot you can easily pick up a bug.”
“He picked up a bug at work and had to take three days off.”
Band 8 sentence
“I must have picked up a bug at the conference — I’ve been feverish ever since.”
Collocations
- pick up a bug on + transport/place
- pick up a bug and take time off work
Word family
pick up a bug idiom / phrasal verb phrasepicked up a bug past simple
Common mistakes
catch a cold→pick up a bug
get a bug→pick up a bug
Say it for a higher band
5catch a cold→6get sick→7+pick up a bug
Synonyms
catch a cold
come down with
Easily confused
catch a cold
“She caught a cold after being out in the rain.”
Related words
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In Health
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