up

Meanings

1. 1adverb

   Toward a higher position, place, or level.

   Grammar: Often used with verbs of movement like go, come, or look, and can be followed by a prepositional phrase: up the stairs.

   Patterns

   • up and down
   • up to something
   • up in the air

   She looked up at the sky.

   The balloon floated up into the clouds.

   He climbed up the ladder to fix the roof.

2. 2adjectivenot comparable

   Functioning correctly or in an active, operational state, especially describing a computer system.

   Grammar: Used after a linking verb like be or seem; not used before a noun in this sense.

   Patterns

   • be up
   • keep something up

   The server is up again after the maintenance.

   Is the website up? I can't access it.

   The system will be up by noon.

Common combinations

up and down

He paced up and down the corridor.

up to

What are you up to this weekend?

up for

Are you up for a game of tennis?

up against

The team is up against a strong opponent.

up in arms

The residents are up in arms about the new development.

Synonyms and how they differ

upward

More formal and often used in writing; up is more common in everyday speech.

aloft

Literary or technical; means high in the air, while up is general.

Opposites

Word family

upward adjective

Moving or pointing toward a higher place.

upwards adverb

Toward a higher position; often used with of to mean 'more than'.

uphill adjective

Sloping upward; also used figuratively for difficult tasks.

Commonly confused: up or upon?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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