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UP

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up¹

  • /ʌp/ UK
  • [ʌʔp] UK
  • [ɐʔp] UK
  • [ʊp] Northern England
  • /ʌp/ Canada, US
  • [ʌp̚] Canada, US
  • [ʌp]
  • [ʊp]
  • /ɐp/ Australia, New Zealand

Rhymes with -ʌp

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *upó

Proto-Germanic *ub

Proto-Germanic *upp

Proto-West Germanic *upp

Old English upp

Middle English up

English up

From Middle English up, op, oup, from Old English upp, up, ūp (“up”), from Proto-West Germanic *upp, *ūp, from Proto-Germanic *upp, *eup (“up”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian ap (“up”), West Frisian op (“up”), Dutch op (“up”), German Low German up, op (“up”), German auf (“up”), Danish op (“up”), Swedish upp (“up”), Icelandic upp (“up”), Gothic 𐌹𐌿𐍀 (iup, “up”).

adverb

  1. not comparable 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. not comparable To or at a physically higher or more elevated position. All day we climbed up and up.
  3. not comparable To an upright or erect position. sit up; stand up; get up out of bed
  4. figuratively, not comparable 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.
  5. not comparable To or towards what is considered the top of something, irrespective of whether this is presently physically higher. Go back up to the top of the page.
  6. not comparable 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.
  7. not comparable 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.
  8. not comparable Towards the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.
  9. UK, dated, not comparable To university, especially to Cambridge or Oxford. She's going up to read Classics this September.
  10. not comparable Against the wind or current.
  11. not comparable Towards the source of a river, against the direction of flow. We started in London and rowed all the way up to Oxford.
  12. not comparable In a positive vertical direction.
  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.
  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.
  15. not comparable To one's possession or consideration. I picked up some milk on the way home.
  16. not comparable From one's possession or consideration. She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.
  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.

preposition

  1. Toward the top of. The cat climbed up the tree.
  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.
  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). 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.

adjective

  1. not comparable Facing upwards. Turn the cloth over so that the patterned side is up.
  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.
  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.
  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.
  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.
  15. not comparable Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc. Sales are up compared to last quarter.
  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!
  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?
  23. not comparable, postpositional Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair. AAKK = aces 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.

noun ups

  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.
  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.

verb ups · upping · upped

  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.
  3. colloquial, transitive To promote. It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President.
  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.
  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.

UP²

proper noun

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Upper Peninsula.Upper Peninsula
  2. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of United Presbyterian.United Presbyterian
  3. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Uttar Pradesh: a state of India.Uttar Pradesh 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, initialism Initialism of Unified Process.Unified Process
  5. Philippines, abbreviation, initialism Initialism of University of the Philippines.University of the Philippines
  6. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Union Pacific.Union Pacific

noun UPs

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of unqualified prospect.unqualified prospect
  2. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of university press.university press Oxford UP; Princeton UP

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