equal to (a challenge, etc) or capable of (doing, etc)
are you up to playing in the final?
d.
aware of
up to a person's tricks
e.
as far as
up to his waist in mud
f.
as many as
up to two years' waiting time
g.
comparable with
not up to your normal standard
See full dictionary entry for up
up to in British English
(ʌp tʊ)
preposition
1.
as far as
He was up to his knees in water.
He counted up to fifty.
Could I go right up to her and say that?
She came up to me.
2.
until
up to 1990
up to now
up to then
3.
as many as
up to two years' waiting time
up to 20,000 students
up to three hours
4.
dependent or incumbent upon
The decision is up to you.
We could go now or later – it's up to you.
It was up to him to make it right.
5.
equal to (a challenge, etc) or capable of (doing, etc)
Are you up to playing in the final?
He's not up to it.
I hope you're feeling up to riding.
6. British informal
comparable with
It's not up to your normal standard
It's not up to much.
7. informal
devising or scheming; occupied with
What is he up to?
He's up to something.
She's up to no good.
8.
aware of
I hope you are not up to any tricks.
up to in American English
1.
occupied with; doing; scheming; devising
up to no good
2.
equal to (a task, challenge, etc.); capable of (doing, undertaking, etc.)
3.
as many as
up to four may play
4.
as far as
up to now, up to his hips
5. US
dependent upon; incumbent upon
entirely up to her
See full dictionary entry for up
Examples of 'up to' in a sentence
up to
You can go up to that line.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His string bracelet is covered by his expensive jacket as he gets up to go.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Adults might not need to go for up to two years.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Can it hold a torch up to it 's predecessor?
The Sun (2016)
Her dad answered the door and told me to go up to her room to get it as she had already gone to work.
The Sun (2016)
But I certainly think they go right up to the line.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Go up to the end of step 2, cover and keep in the fridge.
The Sun (2016)
He hadn't noticed a nativity display on the mantelpiece when he got up to go to the gents '.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
SITTING too long can age women 's cells by up to eight years, a study claims.
The Sun (2017)
Everyone is queueing up to have a go because no one wants to let themselves down.
The Sun (2008)
As she gets up to go she wraps the remaining sandwiches in a napkin.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Repeat with the other leg, and go up to your waist.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He didn't have to put his hand up to ask to go to the lavatory.
Joanna Blythman SHOPPED: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets (2004)
He showed enough to suggest he would be winning when up to today 's sort of distance.
The Sun (2015)
Up to one hour 's labour.
The Sun (2009)
I am about to jump into a train to go up to Sheffield this afternoon.
The Sun (2013)
So skiing England is another brilliant excuse to go up to the Lakes and rediscover them.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In the summer he goes up to Fifth Meridian.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All related terms of 'up to'
add up to
If amounts add up to a particular total , they result in that total when they are put together .
get up to
If you say that someone gets up to something, you mean that they do it and you do not approve of it.
put up to
If you put someone up to something wrong or foolish or something which they would not normally do, you suggest that they do it and you encourage them to do it.
up to par
If you say that someone or something is not up to par , you are disappointed in them because they are below the standard you expected .
come up to
To be coming up to a time or state means to be getting near to it.
cozy up to
to try to ingratiate oneself, or make friends , with
face up to
to accept (an unpleasant fact, reality , etc)
feel up to
to be fit enough for (something or doing something)
give up to
lead up to
The events that led up to a particular event happened one after the other until that event occurred .
live up to
If someone or something lives up to what they were expected to be, they are as good as they were expected to be.
look up to
If you look up to someone, especially someone older than you, you respect and admire them.
make progress
Progress is the process of gradually improving or getting nearer to achieving or completing something.
play up to
to support (another actor) in a performance
suck up to
to flatter for one's own profit ; toady
up to date
If something is up-to-date , it is the newest thing of its kind .
wake up to
If you wake up to something, you become aware of it.
build up to
If you build up to something you want to do or say , you try to prepare people for it by starting to do it or introducing the subject gradually.
close up/to
If you look at something close up or close to , you look at it when you are very near to it.
cotton up to
to try to ingratiate oneself, or make friends , with
match up to
If someone or something does not match up to what was expected , they are smaller, less impressive , or of poorer quality.
own up (to)
to confess (to)
shine up to
to try to ingratiate oneself with; curry favor with
stand up to
If something stands up to bad conditions, it is not damaged or harmed by them.
suck up (to)
to flatter or fawn (on) ingratiatingly
up to putty
worthless or useless
up to snuff
in good health or in good condition
up to speed
If you are up to speed , you have all the most recent information that you need about something.
measure up to
to fulfil ( expectations , standards, etc)
up to scratch
If you say that someone or something is not up to scratch , you mean that they are not good enough.
cracked up to be
alleged or believed to be
not up to much
If you say that something is not up to much , you mean that it is of poor quality.
to get mixed up
if you get mixed up, you get confused about something
to go belly-up
(of a company) to not have enough money to pay its debts
to keep it up
If you keep it up , you continue working or trying as hard as you have been in the past .
to take up arms
If one group or country takes up arms against another, they prepare to attack and fight them.
up to a point
If you say that something is true up to a point , you mean that it is partly but not completely true.
up to high doh
extremely excited or keyed up
up to one's ears
deeply involved , as in work or debt
up to one's eyes
extremely busy (with)
up to one's neck
If you say that someone is in some sort of trouble or criminal activity up to their neck , you mean that they are deeply involved in it.
up to the ears
very deeply
up to the elbows
deeply engaged ( in work, etc.)
up to the mark
If something is up to the mark , it is good enough.
up to the minute
Up-to-the-minute information is the latest information that you can get about something.
up to your ears
If you are up to your ears in something, it is taking up all of your time, attention , or resources .
up to your eyes
If you say that you are up to your eyes in something, you are emphasizing that you have a lot of it to deal with, and often that you are very busy .
be a wake-up to
to be fully alert to (a person, thing, action , etc)
to come up trumps
If you say that someone came up trumps , you mean that they did something successfully, often when they were not expected to.
to get psyched up
to prepare mentally
Chinese translation of 'up to'
up to
(= as far as) 直到 (zhídào)
(in approximations) 多达(達) (duōdá)
See up (sense 9)
Nearby words of
up to
up here/there
up in the air
up in the sky
up to
up to 100 people
up to a point
up to and including
All related terms of 'up to'
add up to
( amount to ) 合计(計)达(達) héjì dá
get up to
( prank etc ) 搞 gǎo ⇒ What has he been getting up to? → 他在搞什么花样？ Tā zài gǎo shénme huāyàng?
go up to
向 ... 走过(過)去 xiàng ... zǒuguòqù
own up to
承认(認) chéngrèn
to be up
( be out of bed ) 起床 qǐchuáng
up to now
直到现(現)在 zhídào xiànzài
come up to
( get on for ) 接近 jiējìn
face up to
( truth, facts ) 接受 jiēshòu
lead up to
( culminate in : situation ) 导(導)致 dǎozhì ⇒ the events that led up to her death → 导致她死亡的事件 dǎozhì tā sǐwáng de shìjiàn
live up to
( expectations ) 符合 fúhé
look up to
( hero, idol ) 敬佩 jìngpèi
match up to
配得上 pèi de shàng
stand up to
( withstand ) 经(經)得起 jīngdeqǐ ⇒ Will this building stand up to the gales? → 这座建筑会经得起狂风吗？ Zhè zuò jiànzhù huì jīngdeqǐ kuángfēng ma?
to creep up
渐(漸)渐(漸)上升 jiànjiàn shàngshēng
to keep up
跟上 gēnshàng
up-to-date
( modern ) 最新的 zuì xīn de
to be fed up
厌(厭)倦 yànjuàn
to be tied up
( inf : busy ) 忙得不可开(開)交 máng de bù kě kāi jiāo
to live it up
( inf ) 狂欢(歡) kuánghuān
up to a point
在某种(種)程度上 zài mǒu zhǒng chéngdù shang
to dress up as
( in fancy dress ) 化装(裝)成 huàzhuāng chéng
to give o.s. up
投案自首 tóu'àn zìshǒu
to heave o.s. up
拉自己起来(來) lā zìjǐ qǐlái
to hoist o.s. up
往上爬 wǎngshàng pá
to jerk up/back
猛然向上/后(後)一动(動) měngrán xiàng shàng/hòu yī dòng
to lever o.s. up
把自己支撑(撐)起来(來) bǎ zìjǐ zhīchēng qǐlái
to make o.s. up
化妆(妝) huàzhuāng
to pick o.s. up
( after falling ) 自己站起来(來) zìjǐ zhàn qǐlái
to pick up speed
加速 jiāsù
to set o.s. up
( in business ) 开(開)业(業) kāiyè
to shift up/down
( US : Aut ) 升一挡(檔)/降一挡(檔) shēng yī dǎng/jiàng yī dǎng