up
/ap/
noun
Meaning
The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.
"Up is a good way to go."
A positive thing.
"I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home."
An upstairs room of a two story house.
"She lives in a two-up two-down."
verb
Meaning
To increase or raise.
"If we up the volume, we may be able to hear what he says."
To promote.
"It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President."
(usually in combination with another verb) To act suddenly.
"He just upped and quit."
To ascend; to climb up.
To upload.
"100 new apps and games have just been upped."
Synonyms
adjective
Meaning
Facing upwards.
"Put the notebook face up on the table."
On or at a physically higher level.
"The flood waters are up again across large areas of the country."
Headed, or designated to go, upward, as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.
"Where is the up escalator?"
Fitted or fixed at a high or relatively high position, especially on a wall or ceiling.
"The Christmas decorations are up."
Aloft.
"The kite is up!"
Raised; lifted.
"Don't go into the living room just now – I've got the carpet up."
Built, constructed.
"Are the new buildings up yet?"
Standing.
"The audience were up and on their feet."
Awake and out of bed.
"I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up."
Riding the horse; mounted.
(of the sun or moon) Above the horizon, in the sky.
"It'll get warmer once the sun's up."
Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc.
"My temperature is up this morning."
Indicating a larger or higher quantity.
"The barometer is up, so fine weather should be on the way."
Ahead; leading; winning.
"The home team were up by two goals at half-time."
Available; made public; posted.
"Is your new video up yet? I looked on the website, but I couldn't find it."
Finished, to an end
"Her contract is up next month, so it's time to negotiate another one."
In a good mood.
"I’m feeling up today."
(usually in the phrase up for) Willing; ready.
"If you are up for a trip, let’s go."
Next in a sequence.
"Smith is up to bat."
(not used attributively) Happening; new; of concern. See also what's up with.
"What is up with that project at headquarters?"
(postnominal) Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.
"AAKK = aces up"
Well-informed; current.
"I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?"
Functional; working.
"Is the server back up?"
(of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.
"The London train is on the up line."
(bartending) Chilled and served without ice.
"A Cosmopolitan is typically served up."
Erect.
(graffiti) well-known; renowned
adverb
Meaning
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."
To or at a physically higher or more elevated position.
"All day we climbed up and up."
To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.
"Cheer up, the weekend's almost here."
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.
"A stranger came up and asked me for directions."
(intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state; thoroughly, completely.
"Can you sum up your research?"
To or from one's possession or consideration.
"I picked up some milk on the way home."
North.
"I live in Florida, but I'm going up to New York to visit my family this weekend."
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.
"He lives up by the railway station."
Towards the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.
Aside, so as not to be in use.
"to lay up riches; put up your weapons"
Against the wind or current.
(Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.
Relatively close to the batsman.
"The bowler pitched the ball up."
(bartending) Without additional ice.
"Would you like that drink up or on ice?"
(academia) To university, especially to Cambridge or Oxford.
"She's going up to read Classics this September."
Synonyms
preposition
Meaning
Toward the top of.
"The cat climbed up the tree."
Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.
"I felt something crawling up my arm."
From south to north of.
"We sailed up the East Coast of England from Ipswich to South Shields."
Further along (in any direction).
"Go up the street until you see the sign."
From the mouth towards the source of (a river or waterway).
"He led an expedition up the Amazon."
Of a man: having sex with.
"Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her."
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."