This article is devoted to the comparative analysis of lexical and semantic properties of verbal phraseological combinations in the English and Russian languages. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that it is the first to propose a typology of phraseological combinations based on the degree of cohesion between the meanings of verbal and substantive elements, as well as to describe the process of generating a phraseologically bound meaning. The relevance of this study is determined by the lack of a single, generally accepted classification of phraseological combinations, placing a demand for further investigation into the specifics of phraseologically bound meanings and lexical and semantic properties of phraseological combinations. The aim of the study is to substantiate the position of phraseological combinations on the periphery of the language's phraseological fund. The research identified four types of verbal phraseological combinations, differing in the degree of cohesion of their constituent elements: phraseological combinations with a monosemantic component and singular or selective determination; phraseological combinations with a partial figurative reinterpretation of meaning; phraseological combinations with non-figurative transformation of meaning; and phraseological combinations with additive-clarifying meaning, or phraseomatic superpositions. Categorical features of phraseological combinations’ types have been identified, each possessing a single set of invariant indicators of phraseological combinations: the first type is characterized by the presence of a single lexical meaning and the most limited combinatorial potential; the second type is distinguished by the metaphorical nature of one of its components; the core of the third type is the emotional neutrality of the combination and the frequent use of the verb; and the specificity of the fourth type is implicitness. A high degree of imagery and limited combinability determine the transformation of phraseological combinations into phraseological unities, while the expansion of the compatibility of the verbal component and the non-figurativeness of the meaning predetermine the convergence of phraseological combinations with variable word combinations, thus confirming the position of phraseological combinations on the periphery of the phraseological fund of the language.