If you take up an activity or a subject, you become interested in it and spend time doing it, either as a hobby or as a career.
He did not particularly want to take up a competitive sport. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
He left a job in the City to take up farming. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
Angela used to be a model and has decided to take it up again. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
2. phrasal verb
If you take up a question, problem, or cause, you act on it or discuss how you are going to act on it.
Mr de Garis's MP, Max Madden, took up the case. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
Scientists present evidence of an environmental threat and a pressure group willtake up the issue. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
Dr Mahathir intends to take up the proposal with the prime minister. [VP n + with]
If the bank is unhelpful, take it up with the Ombudsman. [VERB noun PARTICLE + with]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
3. phrasal verb
If you take up a job, you begin to work at it.
He will take up his post as the head of the civil courts at the end of next month. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
4. phrasal verb
If you take up an offer or a challenge, you accept it.
Increasingly, more farmers are taking up the challenge of growing asparagus. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
96 per cent of the eligible employees took up the offer. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
5. phrasal verb
If something takes up a particular amount of time, space, or effort, it uses that amount.
I know how busy you must be and naturally I wouldn't want to take up too much ofyour time. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
The entire memo took up two pages. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
A good deal of my time is taken up with reading critical essays and reviews. [beVERB-ed PARTICLE + with]
The aim was not to take up valuable time with the usual boring pictures. [VP n + with]
6. phrasal verb [no passive]
If you take up a particular position, you get into a particular place in relation to something else.
He had taken up a position in the centre of the room. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
U.N. peacekeeping forces are expected to take up positions along the border. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
7. phrasal verb
If you take up something such as a task or a story, you begin doing it after it has been interrupted or after someone else has begunit.
Gerry's partner Jo takes up the story. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
'No, no, no,' says Damon, taking up where Dave left off. [VERBPARTICLE wh]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
8. See also take-up
More Synonyms of take up
See full dictionary entry for take
take-up
uncountable noun
Take-up is the rate at which people apply for or buy something which is offered, for example financial help from the government or shares in a company.
[mainly British]
...a major campaign to increase the take-up of welfare benefits. [+ of]
take up in British English
verb(adverb, mainly tr)
1.
to adopt the study, practice, or activity of
to take up gardening
2. Australian and New Zealand
to occupy and break in (uncultivated land)
he took up some hundreds of acres in the back country
3.
to shorten (a garment or part of a garment)
she took all her skirts up three inches
4.
to pay off (a note, mortgage, etc)
5.
to agree to or accept (an invitation, etc)
6.
to pursue further or resume (something)
he took up French where he left off
7.
to absorb (a liquid)
8.
to adopt as a protégé; act as a patron to
9.
to occupy or fill (space or time)
10.
to interrupt, esp in order to contradict or criticize
11. take up on
12. take up with
nountake-up
13.
a.
the claiming or acceptance of something, esp a state benefit, that is due or available
b.
(as modifier)
the take-up rate
14. machinery
the distance through which a part must move to absorb the free play in a system
15. (modifier)
denoting the part of a mechanism on which film, tape, or wire is wound up
a take-up spool on a tape recorder
take-up in British English
(ˈteɪkˌʌp)
noun
1.
the claiming or acceptance of something, esp a state benefit, that is due or available
a major campaign to increase the take-up of welfare benefits
2.
the distance through which a part must move to absorb the free play in a system
a measure of the take-up of cable
modifier
3.
of or relating to the claiming or acceptance of something, esp a state benefit, thatis due or available
the take-up rate
4.
denoting the part of a mechanism on which film, tape, or wire is wound up
a take-up spool on a tape recorder
take up in American English
1.
to raise; lift
2.
to make tighter or shorter
3.
to pay off; recover by buying (a mortgage, note, etc.)
4.
to absorb (a liquid)
5.
to accept (a challenge, bet, etc.)
6.
to assume protection or custody of
7.
to interrupt in disapproval or rebuke
with on
8.
to resume (something interrupted)
9.
a.
to become interested in or devoted to (an occupation, study, hobby, belief, etc.)
b.
to adopt (an idea)
10.
to occupy or fill (space or time)
See full dictionary entry for take
Examples of 'take up' in a sentence
take up
She was beginning to feel as if she should take up childminding full time.
Murray, Stephen DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION
So you can imagine the kind of creep she tended to take up with.
West, Charles STAGE FRIGHT
Then in 1710 he had moved with her to Edinburgh to take up a position in her father's woollen manufacture.
Heller, Keith MAN'S LOVING FAMILY
He insisted he would not take up more than an hour of her time.
Joyce Carol Oates FAITHLESS: TALES OF TRANSGRESSION (2001)
Oxygen take-up would be the first sign of metabolic activity in the neural cells, the first sign of regenerated life.
Stewart, Michael GRACE
All related terms of 'take up'
take up on
If you take someone up on their offer or invitation , you accept it.
take up arms
to go to war or rise in rebellion
take up with
You say that someone has taken up with someone unsuitable when they have begun a sexual or friendly relationship with them, and you disapprove of this.
to take up arms
If one group or country takes up arms against another, they prepare to attack and fight them.
take up the slack
to start making full use of all of the resources or potential of, for example , an industry , economy , or organization
take up the cudgels
If you take up the cudgels for someone or something, you speak or fight in support of them.
take up the gauntlet
to respond to a challenge by showing that you accept it
pick/take up the gauntlet
If you pick up the gauntlet or take up the gauntlet , you accept the challenge that someone has made.
take up the cudgels (for)
to come to the defense (of)
take up the slack/pick up the slack
To take up the slack or pick up the slack means to do or provide something that another person or organization is no longer doing or providing.
Chinese translation of 'take up'
take up
vt
(= start)[hobby, sport]开(開)始 (kāishǐ)
[job]从(從)事 (cóngshì)
(= occupy)[time, space]占(佔)用 (zhànyòng)
⇒ I won't take up any more of your time.我不会再占用你更多的时间。 (Wǒ bùhuì zài zhànyòng nǐ gèng duō de shíjiān.)
(= deal with) 着(著)手处(處)理 (zhuóshǒu chǔlǐ)
⇒ He intends to take up the proposal with the prime minister.他打算与首相着手处理该提议。 (Tā dǎsuàn yǔ shǒuxiàng zhuóshǒu chǔlǐ gāi tíyì.)
(= continue)[task, story]继(繼)续(續) (jìxù)
⇒ David was taking up where he had left off.戴维接着上次中断的地方继续。 (Dàiwéi jiēzhe shàngcì zhōngduàn de dìfang jìxù.)
(= shorten)[hem, garment]改短 (gǎiduǎn)
vi
(= befriend)
to take up with sb开(開)始和某人鬼混 (kāishǐ hé mǒurén guǐhùn)
to take sb up on an offer接受某人提出的建议(議) (jiēshòu mǒurén tíchū de jiànyì)
See take
Nearby words of
take up
take out on
take over
take to
take up
take your pick
takeaway
taken
All related terms of 'take up'
to take up residence
开(開)始居住 kāishǐ jūzhù
to take up with sb
开(開)始和某人鬼混 kāishǐ hé mǒurén guǐhùn
to take sb up on an offer
接受某人提出的建议(議) jiēshòu mǒurén tíchū de jiànyì
take to
( like ) 喜欢(歡)上 xǐhuan shang ⇒ I immediately took to Alan. → 我立刻喜欢上了艾伦。 Wǒ lìkè xǐhuan shang le Àilún.
take over
( business, country ) 接管 jiēguǎn
take out on
▶ to take one's anger/feelings out on sb 向某人发(發)泄(洩)怒气(氣)/情感 xiàng mǒurén fāxiè nùqì/qínggǎn
take out
( invite : person ) 邀请(請) yāoqǐng ⇒ He took her out for a meal. → 他邀请她出去吃饭。 Tā yāoqǐng tā chūqù chīfàn.
take on
( undertake : work, responsibility ) 承担(擔) chéngdān ⇒ Don't take on any more responsibilities. → 不要再承担更多的责任了。 Bùyào zài chéngdān gèng duō de zérèn le.
take off
( aircraft ) 起飞(飛) qǐfēi
take in
( deceive : person ) 蒙(矇)骗(騙) mēngpiàn ⇒ I wasn't going to be taken in by his charm. → 我不会被他的魅力所蒙骗。 Wǒ bùhuì bèi tā de mèilì suǒ mēngpiàn.