up

up

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of up in English

English Online Dictionary. What means up‎? What does up mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-Germanic *upp, see more there.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: ŭp, IPA(key): /ʌp/, [ɐʔp]
  • (US) enPR: ŭp, IPA(key): /ʌp/, [ʌp̚]
  • (General Australian) IPA(key): /ap/, [äp]
  • Rhymes: -ʌp

Adverb

up (not comparable)

  1. Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.
    I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.
  2. To or at a physically higher or more elevated position.
    All day we climbed up and up.
    • 1925, Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), Rupert Julian (director), The Phantom of the Opera, silent movie
      ‘The Phantom! The Phantom is up from the cellars again!’
  3. To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.
    Gold has gone up with the uncertainty in the world markets.
    Turn it up, I can barely hear it.
    Listen to your voice go up at the end of a question.
    Cheer up, the weekend's almost here.
  4. To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, etc.; usually followed by to or with.
    I was up to my chin in water.
    A stranger came up and asked me for directions.
  5. (intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state; thoroughly, completely.
    I will mix up the puzzle pieces.
    Tear up the contract.
    He really messed up.
    Please type up our monthly report.
    Drink up. The pub is closing.
    Can you sum up your research?
    The meteor burned up in the atmosphere.
    I need to sew up the hole in this shirt.
  6. To or from one's possession or consideration.
    I picked up some milk on the way home.
    The committee will take up your request.
    She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.
  7. To the north (as north is at the top of typical maps).
    I live in Florida, but I'm going up to New York to visit my family this weekend.
  8. Towards or at a central place, or any place that is visualised as 'up' by virtue of local features or local convention, or arbitrarily, irrespective of direction or elevation change.
    We travelled from Yorkshire up to London.
    I'm going up to the other end of town.
    He lives up by the railway station.
  9. (rail transport) Towards the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.
  10. Aside or away, so as no longer to be present or in use.
    to lay up riches; put up your weapons
  11. (sailing) Against the wind or current.
  12. (Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.
  13. (cricket) Relatively close to the batsman.
    The bowler pitched the ball up.
  14. (US, bartending) Without additional ice.
    A Cosmopolitan is typically served up.
  15. (UK, academia, dated) To university, especially to Cambridge or Oxford.
    She's going up to read Classics this September.

Synonyms

  • (away from the centre of the Earth): alley oop (rare)

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of "away from the centre of the Earth"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "louder"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "higher in pitch"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "towards the principal terminus"): down

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Preposition

up

  1. Toward the top of.
  2. Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.
  3. From south to north of.
    We sailed up the East Coast of England from Ipswich to South Shields.
  4. Further along (in any direction).
  5. From the mouth towards the source of (a river or waterway).
    He led an expedition up the Amazon.
  6. (vulgar slang) Of a person: having sex with.
    Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her.
  7. (colloquial) At (a given place, especially one imagined to be higher or more distant from a central location).
    I'll see you later up the snooker club.

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of "toward the top of"): down

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

up (not comparable)

  1. Facing upwards.
    Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is up.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:up.
  2. On or at a physically higher level.
    The flood waters are up again across large areas of the country.
  3. Headed or designated to go upward (as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.) or toward (as a run-up).
    Where is the up escalator?
  4. Fitted or fixed at a high or relatively high position, especially on a wall or ceiling.
    All the notices are up now.
    The Christmas decorations are up.
  5. (by extension) Available to view or use; made public; posted.
    Is your new video up yet? I looked on the website, but I couldn't find it.
  6. Aloft.
    The kite is up!
  7. Raised; lifted.
    The castle drawbridge was up.
    Don't go into the living room just now – I've got the carpet up.
  8. Built, constructed.
    Are the new buildings up yet?
  9. Standing; upright.
    The audience were up and on their feet.
  10. (obsolete) Risen up, rebelling, in revolt.
  11. Awake and out of bed.
    I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up.
  12. (horse-racing) Riding the horse; mounted.
  13. (of the sun or moon) Above the horizon, in the sky.
    It'll get warmer once the sun's up.
  14. Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc.
    Sales are up compared to last quarter.
    My temperature is up this morning.
  15. Indicating a larger or higher quantity.
    The barometer is up, so fine weather should be on the way.
  16. Ahead; leading; winning.
    The home team were up by two goals at half-time.
  17. (predicative only)
  18. Finished, to an end
    Time is up!
  19. In a good mood.
    I’m feeling up today.
  20. (usually in the phrase up for) Willing; ready.
    If you are up for a trip, let’s go.
  21. Next in a sequence.
    Smith is up to bat.
  23. (predicative only) Happening; new; of concern. See also what's up, what's up with.
    What's up, bro?
    What is up with that project at headquarters?
    When I saw his face, I knew something was up.
  24. (poker, postnominal) Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.
    AAKK = aces up
    QQ33 = queens up
  25. Well-informed; current.
    I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?
  26. (computing) Functional; working.
    Is the server back up?
  27. (of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.
    The London train is on the up line.
  28. (US, bartending) Chilled and served without ice.
    Would you like that drink up or on ice?
  29. (slang) Erect. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  30. (UK) At university (especially Oxford or Cambridge).
  31. (slang, graffiti) well-known; renowned

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of "facing upwards"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "on a higher level"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "computing: functional"): down
  • (antonym(s) of "traveling towards a major terminus"): down

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

up (countable and uncountable, plural ups)

  1. (uncountable) The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.
  2. (countable) A positive thing, or a time or situation when things are going well.
  3. (particle physics) An up quark.
    Hypernym: flavor
  4. An upstairs room of a two story house.

Antonyms

  • (antonym(s) of "direction opposed to the pull of gravity"): down

Derived terms

  • mark-up
  • on the up-and-up

Related terms

  • ups and downs

Translations

Verb

up (third-person singular simple present ups, present participle upping, simple past and past participle upped)

  1. (transitive, poetic or in certain phrases) To physically raise or lift.
  2. (transitive, colloquial) To increase the level or amount of.
  3. (transitive, colloquial) To promote.
  4. (intransitive, often in combination with another verb) To rise to a standing position; hence, by extension, to act suddenly; see also up and.
  5. (intransitive, archaic or poetic) To ascend; to climb up.
  6. (computing, slang, transitive) To upload.

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition, Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

Anagrams

  • P U, PU, Pu

Chinese

Etymology 1

From clipping of English update.

Pronunciation

Verb

up

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to update

See also

  • update (ap1 dei1)

Etymology 2

From clipping of English upload.

Pronunciation

Noun

up

  1. Short for up主 (àpu-zhǔ).

Verb

up

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to upload

See also

  • upload (ap1 lou1)

Etymology 3

From English up.

Noun

up

  1. above
    三十up  ―  sānshí up  ―  above thirty (years old)

Etymology 4

Irregular romanisation of 噏 (ngap1).

Verb

up

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) Alternative form of 噏 (ngap1)
Derived terms

Middle Dutch

Preposition

up

  1. Alternative form of op

Adverb

up

  1. Alternative form of op

Middle English

Alternative forms

  • upp, ap

Etymology

From Old English upp, from Proto-Germanic *upp.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /up/

Adverb

up

  1. to a vertical axis

Descendants

  • English: up
  • Scots: up
  • Yola: ap, up

References

  • “up, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Mokilese

Noun

up

  1. sheet

Old Dutch

Alternative forms

  • ub, ob

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *upp

Adverb

ūp

  1. up, upwards

References

  • Altniederfränkischer Psalm 1

Old English

Alternative forms

  • upp

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *upp, akin to Old High German ūf, Old Norse upp.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /up/

Adverb

up

  1. up
    • "Gospel of Saint Luke", chapter 19, verse 4
  2. upwards
    • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' Metres of Boethius, lines 85-89

Descendants

  • Middle English: up
    • English: up

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *upp.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /uːp/

Adverb

ūp

  1. up

Preposition

ūp

  1. upon

Yola

Adverb

up

  1. Alternative form of ap

References

  • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 86

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This article based on an article on Wiktionary. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there. The original work has been modified. This article is distributed under the terms of this license.