Up | Mean of up in English Dictionary

/ˈʌp/

• from a lower to a higher place or position
1. The land rises up from the valley.
2. Pull up your pants/socks. = Pull your pants/socks up.
3. I'll come up [=upstairs] in a minute.
4. She stood beneath the window and called up to her friend.
5. Please pick your clothes up off the floor.
6. We watched the sun come up.
• in a high position or place
1. Keep your head up.
2. He held up his hand.
3. We stored the boxes up in the attic.
4. She stuck a notice up on the wall.
5. What's going on up there?
• toward the sky or ceiling
1. He looked up at the stars.
2. The cards were on the table facing up.

• from beneath the ground or water to the surface
1. The dolphin came up for air.
2. She was in the garden pulling up weeds.
• to or toward the north
1. She flew up from Florida.
2. They drove up to Canada.
3. The weather is much colder up north.
• to or toward a place that is thought of as above or away from another place
1. She went up to the cabin for the weekend.
2. How long will it take to drive up (to their house) and back?
3. Come on up and see us sometime.
• to or at a more important place (such as a large city or university)
1. He went up to London.
2. Their daughter is up at Oxford.
• to or toward a place that is close to someone or something
1. I walked up to her and said “hello.”
2. Please pull up a chair.
3. He lay down and pulled the covers up.
• to or toward a more forward position
1. We moved up to the front of the line.
2. I'll bring these up to the checkout for you.
• in or into a vertical or upright position
1. Please stand up for the national anthem.
2. Sit up. Don't slouch.
3. He helped the man up (from his seat).
4. She turned the box up on its end.
• out of bed
1. What time did you get up this morning?
2. I stayed up late last night. [=I went to sleep late last night]
• with greater force
1. Please speak up. I can't hear you.
• at a higher or greater important position in a list or series
1. Supporting public education doesn't seem to be very high/far up on the government's agenda.
2. Spending time with family ranks pretty high up on my list. [=I think it is important to spend time with family]
• to a higher or greater level, amount, or rate
1. Could you turn the volume/heat up, please?
2. It takes this car a long time to warm up.
3. The price of oil went up.
4. They ran up a big bill.
5. The car sped up and then slowed down.
6. The author is good at building up suspense.
7. The game is for children 12 years old and up. [=and older]
8. Students will be tested from fifth grade up.
• into a better or more advanced position or state
1. She worked herself up in the company.
2. He grew up on a farm.
• so as to appear or be present
1. The missing ring turned up. [=the missing ring was found]
2. They never showed up.
3. Houses were going up quickly.
• in or into a working or usable state
1. He set up his new computer.
2. We should put the tents up first.
• to someone's attention especially for discussion or consideration
1. He brought up the issue at the meeting.
2. Her contract has come up for negotiation.
• so as to be done or completed
1. He filled up the gas tank.
2. She gathered up her belongings and left.
3. I still have some work to finish up.
4. She used up all the tape.
5. They cleaned up the kitchen after supper.
6. He summed up the results of the study.
7. She added up all the numbers.
• so as to be closed
1. He sealed up the package.
2. She zipped up her son's jacket.
• into pieces or parts
1. She tore/cut up the paper.
2. Each group had a leader who divided up the work.
• into a state of activity or excitement
1. She stirred up the fire/crowd.
2. He worked himself up over nothing.
• to a stop
1. He pulled the car up at the curb.
• for each player or team
1. The score is two up.
• forward and backward several or many times
1. He paced up and down in the waiting room.
• from a lower position to a higher position several times
1. The children were jumping up and down.
2. Her father looked me up and down [=looked at me carefully to decide what he thought of me] before inviting me in.
• in a high place or position
1. The candy is up on the top shelf.
• raised so as to be opened
1. The window is already up.
• risen above the horizon
1. The sun is up.
• risen from beneath the ground or water to the surface
1. The tulips are up.
• in a forward place or position
1. Your package is up at the front desk.
2. We were up near the stage.
• higher than usual
1. Gas prices are up again.
2. The river is up.
3. Attendance has been up.
4. The interest rate is up (by) three percent.
5. Profits are up on last year. [=profits are higher than they were last year]
• moving or going to a higher level
1. the up escalator
• happening
1. I could tell something was up by the look on her face.
2. Your order should have arrived. Let me find out what's up.
3. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” “Sure. What's up?” [=what do you want to talk to me about?]
4. (US) “Hi, Jim. What's up?” [=what's new?] “Not much.”
5. Something's up with her. She looks upset.
6. Let me find out what's up with your order.
7. What's up with you? Why are you so grumpy?
8. “Did you hear that he quit his job?” “Yeah. What's up with that?” [=why did he quit his job?]
• having more points than an opponent
1. The team was 10 points up [=it had a lead of 10 points] in the third quarter.
2. The team was up (by) two runs.
• operating or functioning
1. The system/network is up again. = The system/network is up and running again.
• beginning your turn in an activity
1. Get ready. You're up next.
• at an end
1. Put your pencils down. Time is up. [=the time during which you are allowed to work on the test has ended]
2. His term as president is nearly up. [=has nearly ended]
• happy or excited
1. She was feeling down, but now she's up again.
• having a lot of knowledge about something
1. She's always up on the latest fashions.
• having the surface broken because repairs are being done
1. They've had the road up for weeks.
• placed so as to be touching (something)
1. The bed was up against the wall.
• confronted with
1. The problem we are up against [=the problem that we have to deal with] is a difficult one.
• in a difficult situation
1. With hardly any money or time left, we are really up against it!
• out of bed and doing things
1. She recently had surgery, but now she's up and about again.
2. I didn't expect you to be up and around this early.
• sometimes good and sometimes bad
1. Her relationship with him is up and down.
2. They have an up and down relationship.
• wanting to have or do (something)
1. I'm up for some Chinese food.
2. Are you up for watching a movie?
3. We're going out dancing tonight. Are you up for it? [=are you interested in joining us?]
• appearing in a court of law because of being accused of (a crime)
1. He was up for armed robbery.
• capable of performing or dealing with (something)
1. She feels she is up to her role in the play.
2. She feels up to the challenge.
3. The patient is not up to seeing visitors. [=is not healthy enough to see visitors]
• good enough for (something)
1. Her performance wasn't up to her usual standards. [=wasn't as good as it usually is]
2. The hotel wasn't up to our expectations. [=wasn't as good as we expected it to be]
3. (Brit) My Spanish isn't up to much. [=my Spanish is not very good]
• doing something especially in a way that is secret and with intentions that are bad
1. What are they up to?
2. I know they're up to something, but I don't know what.
3. I'm sure he is up to no good.
• to or at (a specified amount, level, etc.)
1. Estimates for repairing the car ran from $500 up to $1,000.
2. The lottery is up to five million dollars.
• as many or as much as (a specified number or amount)
1. Up to eight people can play the game.
2. The car holds up to six people.
3. The ship can carry up to 10 tons.
• during the time or period before
1. Up to this point, we have been discussing our long-term goals.
2. Up to [=until] that time they had been fairly successful.
• to, toward, or at a higher point on (something)
1. He climbed up the ladder.
2. She had to walk her bike up the hill.
3. The bathroom is up the stairs.
• along the course or path of (something)
1. Go up the street/road and turn left.
2. We walked up the street to meet them.
3. They live just up the block from us.
4. I paddled the canoe up the river.
5. The ship sailed up the coast.
6. Her office is all the way up the hall on the right.
7. He paced up and down the hall, waiting for news about his wife's operation.
• Noun
• a period or state of success, happiness, etc.
1. The company has had more ups than downs this year.
2. We have had our ups and downs.
• moving toward an improved or better state
1. After a slow period, sales are on the up. [=sales are increasing]
• honest and legal
1. The deal seems to be on the up and up.
2. I don't want to do anything dishonest. Let's keep everything on the up and up.
• becoming more successful
1. He recently got a promotion and is on the up and up.
• Verb
• to make (something) higher
1. The restaurant upped [=increased] its prices.
• to do something specified in a sudden and unexpected way
1. One day, he just upped and left home.
2. Then she ups and marries some guy she'd just met.
3. One day, he just up and left home. [=he just suddenly left home]
4. Then she up and marries some guy she'd just met.