up

I UK [ʌp] / US adjective, adverb, preposition ***

Summary:

Up can be used in the following ways: - as an adverb: Their voices could be heard up in our room. ♦ Mary looked up at him. ♦ I stood up. - as a preposition: He climbed up the steps. ♦ I set off up the road. - as an adjective: the up escalator - after the verb "to be": He was up early the next morning. ♦ Food prices are up. ♦ I knew something was up.

1) in or towards a higher position

a) from a lower place to a higher place

Could you help me carry this old trunk up to the attic?

I got off my bike and walked up the hill.

He held the cup up to his lips and slowly sipped the tea.

Pick your clothes up off the floor and put them away.

He raised the child up above his head, which she seemed to enjoy.

Put your hand up if you know the answer.

b) in a high place, or in a higher place than you, for example near the top of a hill or in the top part of a house

She's up in the bathroom.

He was up the ladder, cleaning the windows.

Further up the hill was a small farm.

The hotel is 1,500 feet up in the Black Mountains.

c) looking, turning, or pointing away from the ground or towards a higher position

We rolled on our backs and looked up at the sky.

I turned my face up towards the sun.

Lynn glanced up from the book she was reading.

A path leads up from the beach to the top of the cliff.

2) in or into an upright position upright, or moving towards an upright position

He stood up and pulled a chair out for me to sit on.

I found Hattie sitting up in bed.

The dog stopped with its ears up and nose twitching.

3) north in or towards the north of a region or country

I go up to Scotland about once a month.

She's up north with her family on a holiday.

4) moving near to someone/something moving near to someone or something and then stopping

One of the salespeople came up and asked if she could help.

up to:

Two women ran up to us, shouting in Spanish.

Just go up to him and say hello.

5) along a river, road etc

a) moving along a road, street, path etc, or at a point along it in a direction away from you

Further up the road was a little country pub.

He lives up the street from me.

b) moving along a river in the opposite direction that the water is flowing, or at a point along it in this direction

We went on a long trip up the Amazon.

Up the river, in the distance, was the rescue boat.

6) increased in amount/level

a) at or towards an increased number, level, or amount

Total new car sales were up £3 million over last year.

go up:

Fuel prices went up by 3 per cent.

be up on something:

Profits for August were slightly up on July's figure.

b) becoming louder, stronger, or more active

Billy, will you turn the volume on the TV up – I can't hear anything.

Competition between the production groups is hotting up rapidly.

7) not in bed awake and out of bed

We were up bright and early the next morning.

Get up! It's almost 10.00.

I was up till midnight preparing the presentation.

8) at an end used for saying that a period of time has ended

Come along now, please! Time's up!

9) in or into smaller parts divided or broken into small pieces or equal parts

The prize money will be divided up among the team members.

Divorce settlements often involve property that can't be split up easily.

10) completely completely done or used so that there is nothing left

Eat up all your dinner.

I think it was selfish of me, using up all her free time like that.

The stream dries up in summer.

11) fastened fastened or closed completely

She kept Albert's letters in a bundle tied up with ribbon.

Did you lock the house up before you left?

12) collected collected, added, or brought together in one place

She was busy gathering up her papers.

Our profits are quite large when you add them all up.

13) informal more than an amount or age above a particular amount, or older than a particular age

Women of sixty and up get a free bus pass for off-peak journeys.

14) working a computer system that is up is working properly

By ten o'clock we had the computers up again.

15) British being repaired a road that is up is being repaired and cannot be used

We had to take a different route because Bristol Road was up.

16) in a place near you in a place that is near where you are

He'll be up at the school talking to parents.

•

dinner/tea etc is up — spoken used for saying that food or drink is ready

up on something/up with something — knowing a lot about something

I'm well up on 60s rock stars.

up to/until/till something — used for giving the latest time that something can happen, or the end of a period of time

Laura was here up until about 5 minutes ago.

The building was used as a hospital through the 1960s up to 1972.

We can make the delivery any time tomorrow up till about 10 pm.

up to your neck/ears/eyes in something — informal involved in a difficult situation, or with more work to do than you can deal with

I'm up to my eyes in work at the moment, but I'll deal with it as soon as I can.

what's up? — spoken used for asking what is wrong

You're awfully quiet today – what's up?

what's up? with:

What's up with Larry? Is he scared?

- not be up to much

- something is up

- up against something

- up and about

- up and down

- up and running

- up for something

- up to someone

- up to something

- up to speed

- up yours

See:

mark I, scratch II

II UK [ʌp] / US noun
Word forms "up":
singular up plural ups

- on the up and up

- ups and downs

III UK [ʌp] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "up":
present tense I/you/we/they up he/she/it ups present participle upping past tense upped past participle upped informal

to increase an amount, or to raise something to a higher level

They've upped taxi fares because of the rise in fuel prices.

up the ante (= raise the level of what is expected, offered, or risked in a situation):

Protesters have upped the ante by demanding that Wright resign.

•

- up and do something