up

adverb

/ʌp/

For the special uses of up in phrasal verbs, look at the entries for the verbs. For example break up is in the phrasal verb section at break.Idioms

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towards or in a higher position
- He jumped up from his chair.
- Your mum said you were up here (= upstairs).
- The sun was already up (= had risen) when they set off.
- They live up in the mountains.
- It didn't take long to put the tent up.
- You look nice with your hair up (= arranged on top of or at the back of your head).
- Lay the cards face up (= facing upwards) on the table.
- Up you come! (= said when lifting a child)
- The car was up on blocks.
- I was up on deck at first light.
- Two men were up on the roof, repairing a leak.
- I pinned the notice up on the wall.
- She tries to stay under water but she floats back up.
to or at a higher level
- She turned the volume up.
- Prices are still going up (= rising).
- United were 3–1 up at half-time.
- The wind is getting up (= blowing more strongly).
- Sales are well up on last year.
Language Bank increase
increaseDescribing an increase
- Student numbers in English language schools in this country increased from 66 000 in 2018 to just over 84 000 in 2019.
- The number of students increased by almost 30 per cent compared with the previous year.
- Student numbers shot up/increased dramatically in 2019.
- The proportion of Spanish students rose sharply from 5 per cent in 2018 to 14 per cent in 2019.
- There was a significant rise in student numbers in 2019.
- The 2019 figure was 84 000, an increase of 28 per cent on the previous year.
- The 2019 figure was 84 000, 28 per cent up on the previous year.
- As the chart shows, this can partly be explained by a dramatic increase in students from Spain.
to the place where somebody/something is
- A car drove up and he got in.
- She went straight up to the door and knocked loudly.
out of bed
- I stayed up late (= did not go to bed until late) last night.
- (British English) He's up and about again after his illness.
to or at an important place, especially a large city
- We're going up to New York for the day.
- (British English, formal) His son's up at Oxford (= Oxford University).
to a place in the north of a country; further north than somewhere else
- They've moved up north.
- We drove up to Inverness to see my father.
- I'm up there almost every other weekend
- Up here in Liverpool things are different.
completely
- We ate all the food up.
- The stream has dried up.
so as to be finished or closed
- I have some paperwork to finish up.
- Do your coat up; it's cold.
into pieces or parts
- She tore the paper up.
- They've had the road up (= with the surface broken or removed) to lay some pipes.
- How shall we divide up the work?
so as to be formed or brought together
- The government agreed to set up a committee of inquiry.
- She gathered up her belongings.
(of a period of time) finished; over
- Time's up. Stop writing and hand in your papers.
(informal) used to say that something is happening, especially something unusual or unpleasant
- I could tell something was up by the looks on their faces.
- What's up? (= What is the matter?)
- What's up with him? He looks furious.
- Is anything up? You can tell me.
Especially in North American English What’s up? can just mean ‘What’s new?’ or ‘What’s happening?’ There may not be anything wrong.
about to happen, be discussed, etc.
- Next up in our top ten is a new release by Ariana Grande.
- Up after the break we will be introducing our mystery guest!

Word OriginOld English up(p), uppe, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch op and German auf.

Idioms

be up to somebody

to be somebody’s duty or responsibility; to be for somebody to decide
- It's not up to you to tell me how to do my job.
- Shall we eat out or stay in? It's up to you.

not be up to much

(British English) to be of poor quality; to not be very good
- His work isn't up to much.

up against something

(informal) facing problems or opposition
- Teachers are up against some major problems these days.
- She's really up against it (= in a difficult situation).

up and down

moving upwards and downwards
- The boat bobbed up and down on the water.
in one direction and then in the opposite direction
- She was pacing up and down in front of her desk.
sometimes good and sometimes bad
- My relationship with him was up and down.
(North American English, informal) if you swear up and down that something is true, you say that it is definitely true

up and running

(of a system, for example a computer system) working; being used
- By that time the new system should be up and running.

up before somebody/something

appearing in front of somebody in authority for a judgement to be made about something that you have done
- He came up before the local magistrate for speeding.

up for something

on offer for something
- The house is up for sale.
being considered for something, especially as a candidate
- Two candidates are up for election.
(informal) willing to take part in a particular activity
- We're going clubbing tonight. Are you up for it?

up there

(informal) among or almost the best, worst, most important, etc.
- It may not have been the worst week of my life but it's up there.
- OK, it's not my absolute dream, but it's up there.
- These people can’t live without the internet—it’s up there with air and water.

up to something

as far as a particular number, level, etc.
- I can take up to four people (= but no more than four) in my car.
- The temperature went up to 35°C.
(also up until something)
not further or later than something; until something
- Read up to page 100.
- Up to now he's been very quiet.
as high or as good as something
- Her latest book isn't up to her usual standard.
(also up to doing something)
physically or mentally capable of something
- He's not up to the job.
- I don't feel up to going to work today.
(informal) doing something, especially something bad
- What's she up to?
- What've you been up to?
- I'm sure he's up to no good (= doing something bad).