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Meaning & use

drive-up

adjective, noun·EverydayAmerican

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UK/ˈdraɪv ʌp/
US/ˈdraɪv ʌp/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nounAmerican

    Describing a business or service built so that customers can be served while they stay seated in their vehicles.

    Grammar: Always placed before a noun: a drive-up window, not a window that is drive-up.

    Patterns

    • a drive-up window
    • a drive-up service

    The bank's drive-up window closes at six o'clock.

    We ordered coffee at the drive-up kiosk on our way to work.

    During the storm, the pharmacy offered drive-up pickup only.

  2. nouncountableAmericaninformal

    A place or counter where people are served without leaving their cars.

    Grammar: Countable: one drive-up, two drive-ups; usually informal.

    Patterns

    • use the drive-up
    • at the drive-up

    The line at the drive-up wrapped around the building.

    She skipped the drive-up and went inside the bank instead.

    Our small town finally got a drive-up for prescriptions.

Word forms

pluraldrive-ups

Common combinations

drive-up window
He paid at the drive-up window and took his burger.
drive-up service
The library now offers drive-up service for returns.
drive-up lane
Cars were backed up in the drive-up lane.
drive-up testing site
The clinic set up a drive-up testing site in the parking lot.
drive-up pickup
I chose drive-up pickup for the groceries.

Synonyms and how they differ

drive-through
Drive-through is the more common phrase for food outlets, while drive-up is often used for banks, pharmacies and pickup points.
drive-in
A drive-in traditionally means a place where you park and stay, such as a cinema, whereas a drive-up simply serves you at a window.
curbside
Curbside means served at the edge of the road or lot, often by staff bringing items to the car, so you may not drive up to a window at all.

Opposites

walk-in

Word family

drive up phrasal verb
to arrive in a vehicle and stop near something
drive-through noun
a similar service for food and drink
driver noun
the person operating the vehicle

Commonly confused: drive-up or drive-in?

drive-up vs drive-in

A drive-in is a venue such as a cinema where you park and stay in your car; a drive-up is a service point you pull up to briefly.

Practice

The pharmacy has a ___ window, so you can collect medicine without getting out of your car.

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