Etimology
From Middle English up, from Old English upp, from Proto-Germanic *upp, see more there.
adverb
up (not comparable)
Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.
To or at a physically higher or more elevated position.
To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.
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.
(intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state; thoroughly, completely.
To or from one's possession or consideration.
To the north (as north is at the top of typical maps).
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.
(rail transport) Towards the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.
Aside or away, so as no longer to be present or in use.
(sailing) Against the wind or current.
(Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.
(cricket) Relatively close to the batsman.
(US, bartending) Without additional ice.
(UK, academia, dated) To university, especially to Cambridge or Oxford.
Examples
I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.
All day we climbed up and up.
‘The Phantom! The Phantom is up from the cellars again!’
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.
I was up to my chin in water.
A stranger came up and asked me for directions.
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.
Can you sum up your research?
The meteor burned up in the atmosphere.
I need to sew up the hole in this shirt.
I picked up some milk on the way home.
The committee will take up your request.
She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.
I live in Florida, but I'm going up to New York to visit my family this weekend.
We travelled from Yorkshire up to London.
I'm going up to the other end of town.
He lives up by the railway station.
to lay up riches; put up your weapons
The bowler pitched the ball up.
A Cosmopolitan is typically served 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.
Related words
synonyms
(away from the centre of the Earth): alley oop (rare)
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "away from the centre of the Earth"): down
(antonym(s) of "louder"): down
(antonym(s) of "higher in pitch"): down
(antonym(s) of "towards the principal terminus"): down
related terms
all it's cracked up to be
back up
blow up
bottoms up
break up
buck up
buffer up
build up
burn up
clean up
clear up
clog up
close up
cloud up
cozy up
crack up
cuddle up
curl up
cut up
double up
dress up
dry up
eat up
finish up
gang up
gang up on
go up
kick up
knock up
lash up
let up
link up
look up
lookup
muck up
open up
polish up
runner up
run up
shake up
shoot up
show up
shut up
snuggle up
stir up
stop up
turn up
up and at 'em
up for
up to
up to it
wet up
work up
write up
preposition
up
Toward the top of.
Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.
From south to north of.
Further along (in any direction).
From the mouth towards the source of (a river or waterway).
(vulgar slang) Of a person: having sex with.
(colloquial) At (a given place, especially one imagined to be higher or more distant from a central location).
Examples
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.
The cat climbed up the tree.
They walk up the steps.
The information made its way up the chain of command to the general.
I felt something crawling up my arm.
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.
Go up the street until you see the sign.
He led an expedition up the Amazon.
Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her.
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.”
Related words
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "toward the top of"): down
related terms
give up
pick up
put up
ring up
send up
take up
throw up
up a creek
up a tree
Up Holland, Upholland
up on one's ear
up someone's alley
adjective
up (not comparable)
Facing upwards.
On or at a physically higher level.
Headed or designated to go upward (as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.) or toward (as a run-up).
Fitted or fixed at a high or relatively high position, especially on a wall or ceiling.
(by extension) Available to view or use; made public; posted.
Aloft.
Raised; lifted.
Built, constructed.
Standing; upright.
(obsolete) Risen up, rebelling, in revolt.
Awake and out of bed.
(horse-racing) Riding the horse; mounted.
(of the sun or moon) Above the horizon, in the sky.
Larger; greater in quantity, volume, value etc.
Indicating a larger or higher quantity.
Ahead; leading; winning.
(predicative only)
Finished, to an end
In a good mood.
(usually in the phrase up for) Willing; ready.
Next in a sequence.
(predicative only) Happening; new; of concern. See also what's up, what's up with.
(poker, postnominal) Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair.
Well-informed; current.
(computing) Functional; working.
(of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.
(US, bartending) Chilled and served without ice.
(slang) Erect. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
(UK) At university (especially Oxford or Cambridge).
(slang, graffiti) well-known; renowned
Examples
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.
The flood waters are up again across large areas of the country.
Where is the up escalator?
All the notices are up now.
The Christmas decorations are up.
Is your new video up yet? I looked on the website, but I couldn't find it.
The kite is up!
The castle drawbridge was up.
Don't go into the living room just now – I've got the carpet up.
Are the new buildings up yet?
The audience were up and on their feet.
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.
I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up.
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.
Sales are up compared to last quarter.
My temperature is up this morning.
The barometer is up, so fine weather should be on the way.
The home team were up by two goals at half-time.
Time is up!
Her contract is up next month, so it's time to negotiate another one.
I’m feeling up today.
If you are up for a trip, let’s go.
Smith is up to bat.
What's up, bro?
What is up with that project at headquarters?
When I saw his face, I knew something was up.
AAKK = aces up
QQ33 = queens up
I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?
Is the server back up?
The London train is on the up line.
Would you like that drink up or on ice?
When I was up I had a group of idle friends who occupied their time and mine betting on horses, getting drunk and sprawling about telling creepy tales.
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 , at Epsom on June 5, 1969
Related words
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "facing upwards"): down
(antonym(s) of "on a higher level"): down
(antonym(s) of "computing: functional"): down
(antonym(s) of "traveling towards a major terminus"): down
noun
up (countable and uncountable, plural ups)
(uncountable) The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.
(countable) A positive thing, or a time or situation when things are going well.
(particle physics) An up quark.
An upstairs room of a two story house.
Examples
Up is a good way to go.
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.
Hypernym: flavor
She lives in a two-up two-down.
Related words
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "direction opposed to the pull of gravity"): down
related terms
ups and downs
verb
up (third-person singular simple present ups, present participle upping, simple past and past participle upped)
(transitive, poetic or in certain phrases) To physically raise or lift.
(transitive, colloquial) To increase the level or amount of.
(transitive, colloquial) To promote.
(intransitive, often in combination with another verb) To rise to a standing position; hence, by extension, to act suddenly; see also up and.
(intransitive, archaic or poetic) To ascend; to climb up.
(computing, slang, transitive) To upload.
Examples
We upped anchor and sailed away.
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%.
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
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
"Will ye up, lass, and ride behind me?".
100 new apps and games have just been upped.