get up meaning
1. get up to wake up and get out of your bed, especially in the morning:
▪ What time do you have to get up tomorrow?
▪ She got up, had a bath, took four aspirins, then went to sit in the garden.
▪ I hate getting up in the morning, especially in winter.
get sb up to make someone wake up and get out of bed, especially in the morning:
▪ Can you get the kids up? They're going to be late for school.
2. get up to stand up after you have been sitting or lying down:
▪ Sherman got up and went over to the window.
▪ I just got up and went. I was absolutely furious.
■ SIMILAR TO: stand up
3. get up sth • get sth up BrE to organize something, especially something that involves asking other people to help or take part:
▪ She's getting up a collection for Sue's birthday.
▪ The local residents got up a petition, demanding a better bus service.
▪ One of the teachers tried to get up a rugby team, but the kids weren't interested.
■ SIMILAR TO: organize
4. get up BrE if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger:
▪ The wind got up during the night, and blew their tent away.
5. get yourself up BrE informal to dress in unusual clothes, especially clothes that make you look like someone else, such as a famous person, or a character from a story
+ in/as
▪ Margaret and Mitzi had got themselves up in 1920s dresses, with long beads and those little hats.
be got up as/like
▪ He was got up as Count Dracula, complete with fangs and a long black cloak.
▪ I saw a group of little girls got up like the Spice Girls.
■ SIMILAR TO: dress up
getup n C informal a set of clothes, especially strange or unusual clothes:
▪ There's always one contestant in some ridiculous cowgirl getup, thinking she looks patriotic.
6. get sth up • get up sth especially AmE to improve your knowledge of something:
▪ If you're going to Mexico this summer, you'd better get your Spanish up.
■ SIMILAR TO: brush up
7. get it up informal to have an erection (=when a man's sex organ becomes bigger and harder with sexual excitement):
▪ When it came to their wedding night, poor Fred found he couldn't get it up at all.
▪ What time do you have to get up tomorrow?
▪ She got up, had a bath, took four aspirins, then went to sit in the garden.
▪ I hate getting up in the morning, especially in winter.
get sb up to make someone wake up and get out of bed, especially in the morning:
▪ Can you get the kids up? They're going to be late for school.
2. get up to stand up after you have been sitting or lying down:
▪ Sherman got up and went over to the window.
▪ I just got up and went. I was absolutely furious.
■ SIMILAR TO: stand up
3. get up sth • get sth up BrE to organize something, especially something that involves asking other people to help or take part:
▪ She's getting up a collection for Sue's birthday.
▪ The local residents got up a petition, demanding a better bus service.
▪ One of the teachers tried to get up a rugby team, but the kids weren't interested.
■ SIMILAR TO: organize
4. get up BrE if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger:
▪ The wind got up during the night, and blew their tent away.
5. get yourself up BrE informal to dress in unusual clothes, especially clothes that make you look like someone else, such as a famous person, or a character from a story
+ in/as
▪ Margaret and Mitzi had got themselves up in 1920s dresses, with long beads and those little hats.
be got up as/like
▪ He was got up as Count Dracula, complete with fangs and a long black cloak.
▪ I saw a group of little girls got up like the Spice Girls.
■ SIMILAR TO: dress up
getup n C informal a set of clothes, especially strange or unusual clothes:
▪ There's always one contestant in some ridiculous cowgirl getup, thinking she looks patriotic.
6. get sth up • get up sth especially AmE to improve your knowledge of something:
▪ If you're going to Mexico this summer, you'd better get your Spanish up.
■ SIMILAR TO: brush up
7. get it up informal to have an erection (=when a man's sex organ becomes bigger and harder with sexual excitement):
▪ When it came to their wedding night, poor Fred found he couldn't get it up at all.
[American slang]
to rise up and get off something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.)
Please get up off the sofa. I have to turn the cushions over.
Get up off of it!
Examples
More: Next- i do not relish having to get up so early.
- at other times he doesn't have to get up at all.
- her cheeky remarks really get up my nose!
- what on earth will he get up to next?
- i just about managed to get up the stairs.
