up

pronunciation

How to pronounce up in British English: UK [ʌp] word uk audio image

How to pronounce up in American English: US [ʌp] word us audio image

Verb:

raise
Adjective:

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
getting higher or more vigorous
extending or moving toward a higher place
(usually followed by `on' or `for') in readiness
open
(used of computers) operating properly
used up
out of bed
Adverb:

spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position
to a higher intensity
nearer to the speaker
to a more central or a more northerly place
to a later time

Word Origin

up: up: [OE] Up is part of a widespread family of Germanic adverbs which also includes German auf, Dutch and Danish op, and Swedish upp. It goes back ultimately to Indo-European *up-, which also produced English over and the prefixes hyper- and super- and may lie behind English evil. To open something is etymologically to put it ‘up’.=> open, over

up (adv.): Old English up, uppe, from Proto-Germanic *upp- "up" (cognates: Old Frisian, Old Saxon up "up, upward," Old Norse upp; Danish, Dutch op; Old High German uf, German auf "up"; Gothic iup "up, upward," uf "on, upon, under;" Old High German oba, German ob "over, above, on, upon"), from PIE root *upo "up from below" (cognates: Sanskrit upa "near, under, up to, on," Greek hypo "under, below," Latin sub "under;" see sub-). As a preposition, "to a higher place" from c. 1500; also "along, through" (1510s), "toward" (1590s). Often used elliptically for go up, come up, rise up, etc. Up the river "in jail" first recorded 1891, originally in reference to Sing Sing, which is up the Hudson from New York City. To drive someone up the wall (1951) is from the notion of the behavior of lunatics or caged animals. Insulting retort up yours (scil. ass) attested by late 19c.

up (v.): 1550s, "to drive and catch (swans)," from up (adv.). Intransitive meaning "get up, rise to one's feet" (as in up and leave) is recorded from 1640s. Sense of "to move upward" is recorded from 1737. Meaning "increase" (as in up the price of oil) is attested from 1915. Compare Old English verb uppian "to rise up, swell." Related: Upped; upping. Upping block is attested from 1796.

up (n.): "that which is up," 1530s, from up (adv.). Phrase on the up-(and-up) "honest, straightforward" first attested 1863, American English.

up (adj.): c. 1300, "dwelling inland or upland," from up (adv.). Meaning "going up" is from 1784. From 1815 as "excited, exhilarated, happy," hence "enthusiastic, optimistic." Up-and-coming "promising" is from 1848. Musical up-tempo (adj.) is recorded from 1948.

adv.