close-up

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A photograph or film shot taken very near the subject so that it fills the frame.

   Grammar: Countable; often used with 'of'.

   Patterns

   • a close-up of someone/something
   • take a close-up
   • in close-up

   The movie ends with a close-up of the heroine's face.

   She took a close-up of the flower to show its details.

   The documentary uses close-ups to reveal the insects' behavior.

2. 2nouncountable

   A detailed and intimate view or examination of something.

   Grammar: Countable; often used with 'of'.

   Patterns

   • a close-up of something
   • a close-up look at something

   The report gives a close-up of daily life in the refugee camp.

   We got a close-up of the negotiations from the leaked emails.

   The book offers a close-up of the artist's creative process.

Word forms

Common combinations

take a close-up

He took a close-up of the butterfly's wings.

in close-up

The scar was shown in close-up.

close-up shot

The director used a close-up shot to show her tears.

close-up lens

You need a close-up lens for macro photography.

Synonyms and how they differ

macro shot

Specifically a very close photograph, often of tiny subjects; more technical than 'close-up'.

zoom

Refers to the act or result of making a distant subject appear closer; a close-up is taken from nearby.

Opposites

Word family

close adjective

Near in space or time.

up adverb

Toward a higher position; in 'close-up' it adds the sense of filling the frame.

Commonly confused: close-up or close up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “close-up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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