up

play

adverb \ ˈəp \

Definition of up

1 a (1) :in or into a higher position or level; especially :away from the center of the earth

(2) :from beneath the ground or water to the surface

(3) :from below the horizon

(4) :upstream 1

(5) :in or into an upright position

sit up

; especially :out of bed

b :upward from the ground or surface

pull up a daisy

c :so as to expose a particular surface

2 :with greater intensity

speak up

3 a :in or into a better or more advanced state

b :at an end

your time is up

c :in or into a state of greater intensity or excitement

d :to or at a greater speed, rate, or amount

prices went up

e :in a continual sequence :in continuance from a point or to a point

from third grade up

at prices of $10 and up

up until now

4 a (1) :into existence, evidence, prominence, or prevalence

(2) :into operation or practical form

b :into consideration or attention

bring up for discussion

5 :into possession or custody

6 a :entirely, completely

button up your coat

b —used as an intensifier

clean up the house

7 :in or into storage :by

lay up supplies

8 a :so as to arrive or approach

b :in a direction conventionally the opposite of down:

(1) :to windward

(2) :northward

(3) :to or at the top

(4) :to or at the rear of a theatrical stage

9 :in or into parts

10 :to a stop —usually used with draw, bring, fetch, or pull

11 :for each side

the score is 15 up

See up defined for English-language learners

See up defined for kids

Examples of up in a Sentence

The land rises up from the valley.
She stood beneath the window and called up to her friend.
Please pick your clothes up off the floor.
We watched the sun come up.
He held up his hand.
We stored the boxes up in the attic.
She stuck a notice up on the wall.
What's going on up there?
He looked up at the stars.
The cards were on the table facing up.

Recent Examples of up from the Web

Allowing young adults up to age 26 to stay on their parents’ health plans is unquestionably one of the most popular ACA provisions.

— julie rovner, Kaiser Health News, "5 Outside-The-Box Ideas For Fixing The Individual Insurance Market," 30 Aug. 2017
Prices appear to be up more significantly in Harford than elsewhere in Maryland.

— erika butler, The Aegis, "Donation drive planned in Bel Air Wednesday to aid Harvey victims," 29 Aug. 2017
The two remained close over the years, up until Ford’s death in 2016.

— yohana desta, HWD, "Martin Lawrence on the 25th Anniversary of Martin: “It’s Impacted the Culture”," 27 Aug. 2017
Thrust your hips forward, pulling the dumbbell straight up, and extend your arm at the top while dipping from the hips and knees.

— jay willis, GQ, "The Key to Running a Faster Marathon Is Getting Strong as Hell," 27 Aug. 2017
Hollister reported its third straight quarter of positive comparative store sales Thursday, up 5 percent from the same period the year prior.

— megan hess, Bloomberg.com, "Your Evening Briefing," 25 Aug. 2017
The median sales price was $165,000, up 2.5 percent from the $161,000 median price tag during the same month last year and a 1.9 percent increase from the $162,000 posted in June.

— karen caffarini, Post-Tribune, "NWI housing prices rise in July," 25 Aug. 2017
Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition supports up to 8K resolution, Dolby Atmos sound, and a laundry list of Nvidia's GameWorks enhancements.

— mark walton, Ars Technica, "Final Fantasy 15 on PC: Has Square Enix lost its way, or do graphics really matter?," 25 Aug. 2017
Gustin is seeking to fill one of two board seats that are up for election next year.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "Councilwoman Patty Gustin running for DuPage County Board," 22 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of up

partly from Middle English up upward, from Old English ūp; partly from Middle English uppe on high, from Old English; both akin to Old High German ūf up and probably to Latin sub under, Greek hypo under, hyper over — more at over

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

up

adjective

Definition of up

1 a :risen above the horizon

the sun is up

b :standing

c :being out of bed

d :relatively high

the river is up

was well up in her class

e :being in a raised position :lifted

windows are up

f :being in a state of completion :constructed, built

g :having the face upward

h :mounted on a horse

a new jockey up

i :grown above a surface

the corn is up

j (1) :moving, inclining, or directed upward

the up escalator

(2) :bound in a direction regarded as up

2 a (1) :marked by agitation, excitement, or activity

(2) :positive or upbeat in mood or demeanor

b :being above a former or normal level (as of quantity or intensity)

attendance is up

the wind is up

c :exerting enough power (as for operation)

sail when steam is up

d :ready; specifically :highly prepared

e :going on :taking place

find out what is up

3 a :risen from a lower position

men up from the ranks

b :being at the same level or point

did not feel up to par

c (1) :well informed :abreast

up on the news

(2) :being on schedule

up on his homework

d :being ahead of one's opponent

4 a :presented for or undergoing consideration

contract up for negotiation

; also :charged before a court

up for robbery

b :being the one whose turn it is

you're up next

— up against

:confronted with :face-to-face with

the problem we are up against

— up to

1 :capable of performing or dealing with

feels up to the task

2 :engaged in

what is he up to

3 :being the responsibility of

it's up to me

See up defined for English-language learners

Examples of up in a Sentence

The candy is up on the top shelf.
The window is already up.
Your package is up at the front desk.
We were up near the stage.
Are the kids up yet?
We are up every morning at six.
I was up all night studying for the test.
Gas prices are up again.

Recent Examples of up from the Web

He was taken in the first round by the Indians in 2015 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and has had an up-and-down year in his first full season back.

— john maffei, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Minor league report: Local catchers moving up," 29 Aug. 2017
Buttigieg, serving his second term as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is considered an up-and-coming figure within the Democratic Party, garnering 74 percent and 80 percent of the vote in his two mayoral races.

— monroe trombly, Cincinnati.com, "An election commissioner's donation, a mayoral meet and greet, and questions," 9 Aug. 2017
At Photo London, a fair held in May and an up-and-coming rival to the bigger Paris Photo, Mr Gursky’s photo of a nearly featureless carpet (in the Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf) was one of the star attractions, priced at €300,000 ($335,000).

— The Economist, "Picture perfectThe photography market is about not just names," 13 July 2017
Heather breezed through law school and at 25 was an up-and-coming lawyer in a busy firm.

— jennifer king lindley, Redbook, "Stop Trying to Be So Damn Perfect All the Time," 2 June 2017
Airbnb lets travelers do some amazing things: sleep with sharks, stay in Hamlet's castle, cook in Julia Child's kitchen, or perhaps most importantly, help them experience an up-and-coming neighborhood like a local.

— katherine lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Cities Cracking Down on Airbnb," 2 June 2017
Others were already eyeing up potential retail opportunities.

— alexander smith, NBC News, "‘Covfefe’: Donald Trump Invents New Word That Conquers Twitter," 31 May 2017
In your 30s, plenty of things in your life are on the up-and-up, like your career and your confidence.

— deanna pai, Redbook, "7 Ways Your Skin Changes In Your 30s," 26 May 2017
In the first segment, the stakes for the conflict are set: Amy is an altruistic 20-something pretty much ready to subsume her life to Dominic, an up-and-coming critic, aspiring filmmaker and budding boor.

— dominic p. papatola, Twin Cities, "Review: ‘Amy’s View’ slings social commentary but staging is uneven," 22 May 2017

First Known Use of up

before 12th century

up Synonyms

Synonyms

elevated, escalated, heightened, increased, jacked (up), raised, high

Antonyms

down, low

Related Words

extreme, full, maximized, maximum, peaked, sky-high, utmost; inflated, over, overfilled, overflowing, overfull, overlarge, overloaded, oversize (or oversized)

Near Antonyms

decreased, depressed, dropped, knockdown [chiefly British], receded, under

up

preposition

Definition of up

1 a —used as a function word to indicate motion to or toward or situation at a higher point of

went up the stairs

b :up into or in the

was hid away up garret
—Mark Twain

2 a :in a direction regarded as being toward or near the upper end or part of

lives a few miles up the coast

walked up the street

b :toward or near a point closer to the source or beginning of

sail up the river

3 :in the direction opposite to

sailed up the wind

See up defined for English-language learners

Examples of up in a Sentence

He climbed up the ladder.
She had to walk her bike up the hill.
The bathroom is up the stairs.
Go up the street and turn left.
We walked up the street to meet them.
They live just up the block from us.
I paddled the canoe up the river.
The ship sailed up the coast.
Her office is all the way up the hall on the right.
He paced up and down the hall, waiting for news about his wife's operation.

First Known Use of up

1509

up

noun

Definition of up

1 :one in a high or advantageous position

2 :an upward slope

3 :a period or state of prosperity or success

4 :³upper

5 :a fundamental quark that has an electric charge of +2/3 and that is one of the constituents of a nucleon

See up defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of up from the Web

Both candidates will serve as ambassadors at community events since the runner-up will become deputy honorary mayor.

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo Honorary Mayor candidate Alex Lawn holds ‘The Big Event’," 30 Aug. 2017
The NIDA team hopes that its ambitious follow-up trial, likely to launch next year, will produce more such promising results.

— meredith wadman, Science | AAAS, "Brain-altering magnetic pulses could zap cocaine addiction," 29 Aug. 2017
Sen. Luther Strange spent part of his campaign swing through east Alabama today hearing and speaking about jobs in the run-up to his Sept. 26 runoff with Roy Moore.

— william thornton wthornton@al.com, AL.com, "Luther Strange hears, talks economic issues in Centre," 28 Aug. 2017
The Ogden Avenue location will keep its walk-up window and late hours year round, said Donna Scherner, marketing and public relations for Andy's Frozen Custard Illinois.

— erin hegarty, Naperville Sun, "More frozen treats, clothing store options arriving in Naperville," 26 Aug. 2017
While Chef Daniel Humm, co-owner Will Guidara, and their team migrated to East Hampton to run the EMP Summer House pop-up restaurant, construction crews have been working to renovate the Michelin three-star restaurant.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "Eleven Madison Park Is Reopening in October," 25 Aug. 2017
Back in July, a woman toppled a row of fragile pieces by the British artist Simon Birch while trying to take a selfie at a pop-up gallery in Los Angeles.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "PSA: Do Not Place Your Child in an 800-Year-Old Coffin," 23 Aug. 2017
Serving as Trump’s warm-up act, Arpaio reminded the crowd of the history he and the candidate shared.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Birther Friends Forever: How Trump and Sheriff Joe Arpaio Became BFFs," 23 Aug. 2017
Autonomous Research, which specializes in analysis of financial companies, also charges a single user $5,000 for access to its daily round-up of news and analysis, with the price per client falling as more sign up, the people said.

— william canny, Bloomberg.com, "Autonomous Said to Charge $1,000 a Stock Report Before MiFID," 22 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of up

1536

up

verb

Definition of up

upped play \ˈəpt\ or in intransitive verb sense 2 up; upped; upping; ups or in intransitive verb sense 2 up

intransitive verb

1 a :to rise from a lying or sitting position

b :to move upward :ascend

2 —used with and and another verb to indicate that the action of the following verb was either surprisingly or abruptly initiated

he up and quit his job

transitive verb

1 :raise, lift

2 a :to advance to a higher level:

(1) :increase

(2) :promote 1a

b :raise 8d

See up defined for English-language learners

Examples of up in a Sentence

climbing fuel prices have forced the delivery company to up its prices
the road constantly ups and downs as it makes its way over the hills

Recent Examples of up from the Web

Morrissey demonstrated his dual-threat ability, scoring on runs of 21 and 13 yards that upped East's lead to 27-0 at 6:37 of the third quarter.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Brendan Morrissey makes impact, lifts Lincoln-Way East past Crete-Monee," 26 Aug. 2017
But Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg was nodding and thumbs-upping like a late-night talk show sidekick throughout Ryan’s remark.

— danny westneat, The Seattle Times, "Paul Ryan picked the most awkward spot in America to argue for corporate tax cuts," 25 Aug. 2017
That means upping your moisture to strengthen the skin barrier, since the healthier the skin, the lower the chance of secondary issues.

— marissa desantis, Teen Vogue, "Pimple Popping: How to Do It Safely," 24 Aug. 2017
Our hero is currently sidelined with a strained hamstring, thereby upping Pittsburgh’s chance of winning at least 50 percent.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: One and Dunn for Reds Hall," 22 Aug. 2017
On Capitol Hill, there’s some bipartisan movement toward upping the Secret Service’s funding.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The Trumps’ Travels Have Broken the Secret Service Budget," 21 Aug. 2017
Thinking about upping your boot game this September?

— indya brown, The Cut, "18 Chic Pieces You Can Still Buy at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale," 3 Aug. 2017
It's not listed on the menu, but this added shot of espresso in your coffee will give you an extra jolt without upping your drink size. 9.

— jessica mattern, Redbook, "15 Guilt-Free Starbucks Drinks For When You're Trying to Lose Weight," 2 Aug. 2017
Grassa Gramma will join another restaurant planned by brothers Michael and Carmelo Gabriele in upping Louisville's Italian offerings.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Le Moo, Village Anchor owner to open Italian restaurant," 27 July 2017

First Known Use of up

1643

up Synonyms

Synonyms

accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, stoke, supersize, increase

Antonyms

abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

Related Words

boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlay

Near Antonyms

abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrench

UP

abbreviation

Definition of UP

Upper Peninsula (of Michigan)

UP Defined for English Language Learners

up

play

adverb

Definition of up for English Language Learners

: from a lower to a higher place or position
: in a high position or place
: toward the sky or ceiling

up

adjective

Definition of up for English Language Learners

: in a high place or position
: raised so as to be opened
: risen above the horizon

up

noun

Definition of up for English Language Learners

: a period or state of success, happiness, etc.

up

verb

Definition of up for English Language Learners

: to make (something) higher

UP Defined for Kids

up

play

adverb \ ˈəp \

Definition of up for Students

1 :in or to a high or higher place or position

She put her hand up.

2 :in or into a vertical position

Stand up.

3 :from beneath a surface (as ground or water)

Come up for air.

4 :with greater force or to a greater level

Speak up.

Turn the heat up.

5 :so as to make more active

Stir up the fire.

6 :so as to appear or be present

The missing ring turned up.

7 :completely

Use it up.

8 :so as to approach or be near

He walked up and said “hello.”

9 :from below the horizon

The sun came up.

10 :out of bed

What time did you get up?

11 :in or into a better or more advanced state

He worked his way up in the company.

She grew up on a farm.

12 :for consideration or discussion

I brought up the issue.

13 :into the control of another

I gave myself up.

14 —used to show completeness

Fill up the gas tank.

15 :so as to be closed

Seal up the package.

16 :in or into pieces

The puppy tore it up.

17 :to a stop

Pull up at the curb.

18 :into a working or usable state

I set up the computer.

up

adjective

Definition of up for Students

1 :risen above the horizon or ground

The sun is up.

2 :being out of bed

3 :unusually high

Gas prices are up.

4 :having been raised or built

The windows are up.

The house is up.

5 :moving or going upward

an up elevator

6 :being busy and moving about

He likes to be up and doing things.

7 :well prepared

Are you up for this challenge?

8 :happy or excited

The team was up after their win.

9 :going on

Find out what's up.

10 :at an end

Time is up.

11 :well informed

I'm not up on the latest news.

12 :functioning correctly

The computer system is up.

up

preposition

Definition of up for Students

1 :to, toward, or at a higher point of

He climbed up a ladder.

2 :to or toward the beginning of

We paddled up a river.

3 :¹along 1

Let's walk up the street.

— up to

1 :as far as

We found ourselves in mud up to our ankles.

2 :in accordance with

The game was not up to our standards.

3 :to the limit of

The car holds up to six people.

up

noun

Definition of up for Students

:a period or state of doing well

You've had your ups and downs.

up

verb

Definition of up for Students

upped; upping

1 :to act suddenly or surprisingly

The teenager upped and left home.

2 :to make or become higher

Coffee producers upped prices.

Learn More about up

See words that rhyme with up Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for up Spanish Central: Translation of up Nglish: Translation of up for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of up for Arabic speakers

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up

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up

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