Meaning & use
levelled up
Last updated
“levelled up” is a form of “level up”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
advanced to a higher level in a game or reached a higher rank
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'to' and the new level.
Patterns
- level up to something
- level up in a game
After weeks of playing, she finally levelled up to level 50.
He levelled up by defeating the final boss.
The character levelled up after gaining enough experience points.
verbintransitiveinformal
improved your skills, status, or situation to a higher standard
Grammar: No object; often used with 'in' or 'at' to show the area of improvement.
Patterns
- level up in something
- level up your skills
She levelled up in her career after taking a management course.
He levelled up his cooking skills during the lockdown.
The team levelled up its performance in the second half.
Word forms
| base form | level up |
|---|---|
| third person singular | levels up |
| past tense | levelled up |
| past participle | levelled up |
| -ing form | levelling up |
| American past tense | leveled up |
Common combinations
- level up to
- You need more points to level up to the next stage.
- level up in
- She levelled up in Spanish after a year in Madrid.
- level up your skills
- The workshop helps you level up your skills.
- level up fast
- You can level up fast if you complete all the quests.
Synonyms and how they differ
- advance
- More formal and general; it can be used for careers or armies, but not for games.
- progress
- Focuses on gradual movement forward, not on reaching a specific new level.
- rank up
- Used in gaming for increasing your rank, but it's less common outside games than 'level up'.
Opposites
Word family
- level up phrasal verb
- The base form; to advance to a higher level.
- leveling up noun
- American spelling; the process of advancing to a higher level.
Commonly confused: levelled up or leveled?
levelled up vs leveled
American spelling of the past tense; 'levelled' is British. Both are correct, but be consistent.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'levelled up' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Levelled up' means advanced to a higher level, especially in a game. The other options use 'level' in its literal sense of making something flat or equal, which is not the same phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “levelled up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.