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Meaning & use

charge it up

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌtʃɑːdʒ ɪt ˈʌp/
US/ˌtʃɑːrdʒ ɪt ˈʌp/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    to put electricity into a battery or device so it can work again

    Grammar: Used with a pronoun object between the verb and 'up': charge it up. With a noun object, both 'charge it up' and 'charge up the phone' are possible.

    Patterns

    • charge something up
    • charge it up

    My phone is dead – I need to charge it up before we leave.

    She charged up her laptop at the airport while waiting for the flight.

    Can you charge it up overnight so it's ready in the morning?

  2. phrasephrasal verbfigurativeinformal

    to make someone feel full of energy or excitement again

    Grammar: Often used figuratively with people or moods; the object usually goes between 'charge' and 'up' when it is a pronoun.

    Patterns

    • charge someone up
    • charge up someone

    A good cup of coffee really charges me up in the morning.

    The team was charged up by the coach's speech before the final.

Common combinations

charge up your phone
Don't forget to charge up your phone before the trip.
charge it up overnight
I'll charge it up overnight and bring it tomorrow.
charge up the battery
It takes two hours to charge up the battery fully.
get charged up
The kids got all charged up about the school trip.

Synonyms and how they differ

recharge
More formal and often used for putting power back into something after it has been used; 'charge up' is more casual and common in speech.
power up
Focuses on turning a device on or giving it power, not necessarily filling a battery; 'charge up' specifically means adding electrical energy to a battery.

Opposites

drainrun down

Word family

charge verb
To put electricity into a battery or device; the base verb without 'up'.
charger noun
A device or cable used to charge something up.
rechargeable adjective
Describing a battery that can be charged up again and again.

Commonly confused: charge it up or charge?

charge it up vs charge

'Charge' alone can mean many things (ask for money, accuse, attack). 'Charge up' specifically means to add electrical power, so adding 'up' makes the meaning clear.

Practice

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