English

Verb

get up ‎(third-person singular simple present gets up, present participle getting up, simple past got up, past participle (UK) got up or (US) gotten up)

1. (literally) To move in an upwards direction; to ascend or climb.

   I'm having difficulty getting up the stairs.

2. To rise from one's bed (often implying to wake up).

   I didn't get up until midday.

3. To move from a sitting or lying position to a standing position; to stand up.

   Get up off the couch and clean this mess!

4. To materialise; to grow stronger.

   As dusk fell a storm got up.

5. To bring together, amass.

   The general got up a large body of men.

6. To gather or grow larger by accretion.

   The locomotive got up a good head of steam.

   I could see that he was getting up a temper.

7. (sports) To go towards the attacking goal.
   • 2011 January 5, Jonathan Stevenson, “Arsenal 0 - 0 Man City”, in BBC:

     City sent on Adam Johnson for the ineffective Jo and the Englishman at least gave notice that he wanted to run at the Arsenal defence, but his team-mates had been run into the ground by then and no-one could get up in support of the winger.

8. (Britain, Australia, colloquial) To criticise.

   He got up me about the mess I made in the kitchen.

   • 2011, Ian Healy, Hands and Heals: The Autobiography, unnumbered page,

     Back in January 1989, as soon as Rod got up me that night, I knew he rated me, cared about what I did and how I performed. I felt I′d climbed a big step up the credibility ladder.

   • 2003 February 6, James Hicks, “New LoY spell info up.”, in alt.games.everquest, Usenet:

     I said ok and resorted to only taunting or using a taunt spell to get mobs off the wizzy but the cleric got up me for that too.

   • 2003 October 20, Dave Ello, “New Battlax to support the old Battle-axe...”, in aus.motorcycles, Usenet:

     To those of you who (and there a a few) who got up me yesterday at Mt White for being a slack-arse and not replacing the rear tyre on the 'Bird, I can now state for the record that she's shod with a brand new 020.

   • 2011, Mark Whittaker, Brave, unnumbered page,

     Alan, silver-haired and full of Aussie wit, tells me how his favourite cousin got up him recently, ‘Of course, you get yourself into these situations if you′re always trying to be the hero.’ That really annoyed him.

9. (colloquial) To annoy.
   • 2001, Tim Winton, Dirt Music, page 257,

     Well, Beaver said at last. Somethin′s got up him. Like you said—people have regrets.

10. To dress in a certain way, especially extravagantly.

    She was all got up in the most ridiculous frilly dress.

Synonyms

• rise
• stand up

Antonyms

• go to bed
• sit down

Related terms

• get up in
• get up in someone's face

Translations

See also

• getup