up

adv

1. (not-comparable)Indicating movement towards or location at a higher place or position.

   “I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.”

   “Shoots grow up and roots grow down.”

2. (not-comparable)Indicating movement towards or location at a higher place or position.

   “All day we climbed up and up.”

   “Lift the carpet up and look underneath.”

   “He lives up in the hills.”

   “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. (not-comparable)Indicating movement towards or location at a higher place or position.

   “sit up; stand up; get up out of bed”

4. (figuratively, not-comparable)Indicating movement towards or location at a higher place or position.

   “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.”

5. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".

   “Go back up to the top of the page.”

   “As I lay on my back, a pain shot up from my toes to my chest.”

6. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".

   “I live in Florida, but I'm going up to New York to visit my family this weekend.”

7. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".

   “We travelled from Yorkshire up to London.”

   “I'm going up to the other end of town.”

   “He lives up by the railway station.”

8. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".
9. (UK, dated, not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".

   “She's going up to read Classics this September.”

   “The son of the Dean of Lichfield was only three years older than Steele, who was a lad of only twelve, when at the age of fifteen, Addison went up to Oxford.”

   “Others insinuated that women 'crowded up to Cambridge', not for the benefits of a higher education, but because of the proximity of 2,000 young men.”

   “A precocious mathematician, Babbage was already well versed in the Continental mathematical notations when he went up to Cambridge.”

10. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".
11. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".

    “We started in London and rowed all the way up to Oxford.”

12. (not-comparable)Indicating movement in any other direction visualised as "up".
13. (not-comparable)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.”

    “I'm going to be walking quickly, but try to keep up with me.”

14. (emphatic, intensifier, not-comparable)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.”

15. (not-comparable)To one's possession or consideration.

    “I picked up some milk on the way home.”

    “The committee will take up your request.”

16. (not-comparable)From one's possession or consideration.

    “She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.”

    “Instead of apologising, he offered up excuse after excuse.”

17. (not-comparable)Aside or away, so as no longer to be present or in use.

    “to lay up riches; put up your weapons”

18. (not-comparable)Relatively close to the batsman.

    “The bowler pitched the ball up.”

19. (US, not-comparable)Without additional ice.

    “A Cosmopolitan is typically served up.”

prep

1. Toward the top of.

   “The cat climbed up the tree.”

   “They walk up the steps.”

   “Her eyes scanned up and down the page.”

   “Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear, and I descried a four-in-hand winding its way up the inn road from the direction of Mohair.”

2. Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.

   “The information made its way up the chain of command to the general.”

   “I felt something crawling up my arm.”

3. From south to north of.

   “We sailed up the East Coast of England from Ipswich to South Shields.”

   “Though the storm raged up the East Coast, it has become increasingly apparent that New Jersey took the brunt of it.”

4. Further along (in any direction).

   “Go up the street until you see the sign.”

5. From the mouth towards the source of (a river or waterway).

   “He led an expedition up the Amazon.”

6. (slang, vulgar)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.”

   ““I'll tell you how I got on in the fight if I should see you up the Smokers.””

adj

1. (not-comparable)Facing upwards.

   “Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is up.”

   “Suppose that we roll a fair die and flip a fair coin in a game that awards 10 dollars whenever one pip shows on the up face of the die and 2 dollars whenever a head shows on the up side of the coin.”

2. (not-comparable)On or at a physically higher level.

   “The flood waters are up again across large areas of the country.”

3. (not-comparable)Headed or designated to go upward (as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.) or toward (as a run-up).

   “Where is the up escalator?”

4. (not-comparable)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. (broadly, not-comparable)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. (not-comparable)Aloft.

   “The kite is up!”

7. (not-comparable)Raised; lifted.

   “The castle drawbridge was up.”

   “Don't go into the living room just now – I've got the carpet up.”

8. (Australia, not-comparable)Of a river, in flood or at a high level.

   “In the late afternoon we rode among the fine trees of the Barker, which was ‘up’ too, but not so strongly as the Lennard.”

9. (not-comparable)Built, constructed.

   “Are the new buildings up yet?”

10. (not-comparable)Standing; upright.

    “The audience were up and on their feet.”

11. (not-comparable, obsolete)Risen up, rebelling, in revolt.

    “The fearefull newes that whilſt the flame doth but begin, Sad pollicie may ſerue to quench the fire: The Commons nowe are vp in Kent, let vs not ſuffer this firſt attempt too farre.”

12. (not-comparable)Awake and out of bed.

    “So if you find yourself regularly up late at night, basking in the TV's glow, you might be doing more than just depriving yourself of sleep.”

    “I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up.”

13. (not-comparable)Riding the horse; mounted.
14. (not-comparable)Above the horizon, in the sky.

    “It'll get warmer once the sun's up.”

    “I have said I was still in darkness, yet it was not the blackness of the last night; and looking up into the inside of the tomb above, I could see the faintest line of light at one corner, which showed the sun was up.”

15. (not-comparable)Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc.

    “Sales are up compared to last quarter.”

    “My temperature is up this morning.”

16. (not-comparable)Indicating a larger or higher quantity.

    “The barometer is up, so fine weather should be on the way.”

17. (not-comparable)Ahead; leading; winning.

    “The home team were up by two goals at half-time.”

18. (not-comparable, predicative)Finished, at an end

    “Time is up!”

    “Her contract is up next month, so it's time to negotiate another one.”

19. (not-comparable)In a good mood.

    “I’m feeling up today.”

20. (not-comparable)Willing; ready.

    “If you are up for a trip, let’s go.”

21. (not-comparable)Next in a sequence.

    “Smith is up to bat.”

22. (not-comparable, predicative)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.”

23. (not-comparable, postpositional)Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.

    “AAKK = aces up”

    “QQ33 = queens up”

24. (not-comparable)Well-informed; current.

    “I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?”

25. (not-comparable)Functional; working.

    “Is the server back up?”

26. (not-comparable)Traveling towards a major terminus.

    “The London train is on the up line.”

27. (US, not-comparable)Chilled and served without ice; (often specifically) shaken with ice and then strained into a coupe for serving, leaving the ice behind.

    “Would you like that drink up or on ice?”

28. (not-comparable, slang)Erect.
29. (UK, dated, not-comparable)At university (especially Oxford or Cambridge).

    “When I was up (1965–68) I had a group of idle friends who occupied their time and mine betting on horses, getting drunk and sprawling about telling creepy tales.”

30. (not-comparable, slang)well-known; renowned

    “Being "up" means having numerous graffiti in the tagging landscape.”

    “Graffiti writers want their names seen by writers and others so that they will be famous. Therefore writers are very serious about any opportunity to “get up.” […] The throw-up became one of the fundamental techniques for getting up, and thereby gaining recognition and fame.”

    “From his great rooftop pieces, selected for high visibility, to his sneaky tags and fun loving stickers, he most certainly knows how to get up.”

    “Won by Park Top (Lester Piggott up), at Epsom on June 5, 1969”

noun

1. (uncountable)The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.

   “Up is a good way to go.”

2. (countable)A positive thing, or a time or situation when things are going well.

   “I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home.”

   “There are many ups to caravanning, but also many downs.”

   “I've been on an up all this week.”

   “One last impression — and one of the biggest "ups" for me — was the Saturday night cultural presentations.”

3. (countable, particle, uncountable)An up quark.
4. (countable, uncountable)An upstairs room of a two story house.

   “She lives in a two-up two-down.”

5. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of unqualified prospect.
6. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of university press.

   “Oxford UP; Princeton UP”

verb

1. (in-certain-phrases, poetic, transitive)To physically raise or lift.

   “We upped anchor and sailed away.”

2. (colloquial, transitive)To increase the level or amount of.

   “If we up the volume, we may be able to hear what he says.”

   “As usual, they've upped the prices for Valentine's Day.”

   “Part of the woman's mystique, I guess. Makes people want to meet her all the more. A year ago, she upped her stock with that crowd when she bought the Midnight Star — among the world's most famous star sapphires”

   “After a dreadful performance in the opening 45 minutes, they upped their game after the break and might have taken at least a point from the match.”

   “It says that while European countries upped their subsidies by 6% between 2018-20, the growth in business was only 0.45%.”

3. (colloquial, transitive)To promote.

   “It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President.”

   “The other day Mr. Meyer came to see me in Weinbergers, it caused a great sensation & I think upped me a lot in prestige there”

   “"Ryker's a--" He swallowed. "A cop. Used to work Sleeve Theft, then they upped him to the Organic Damage Division.”

   “(And who, by the way, got his start as a producer from Desi Arnaz, who upped him from film editor to take charge of the Desilu series The Untouchables”

4. (in-compounds, intransitive, often)To rise to a standing position; hence, by extension, to act suddenly; see also up and.

   “She was sitting there quietly, then all of a sudden she upped and left.”

   “He just upped and quit.”

   “He upped and punched that guy.”

   “But the swagman he up and jumped into the waterhole, Drowning himself by the coolibah tree. And his ghost may be heard as it sings by the billabong, 'Who'll come a'waltzing Matilda, with me.'”

   “And she didn't leave a letter, she just upped and ran away”

5. (archaic, intransitive, poetic)To ascend; to climb up.

   “"Will ye up, lass, and ride behind me?".”

6. (slang, transitive)To upload.

   “100 new apps and games have just been upped.”

name

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Upper Peninsula.
2. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of United Presbyterian.
3. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Uttar Pradesh: a state of India.

   “To study old photographs from UP villages like the one where Ram Dass lived is to be reminded of how rural history writes upon the body.”

4. (abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of Unified Process.
5. (Philippines, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism)Initialism of University of the Philippines.