Jump To:

• get-up
  get-up

  noun

  getup.
• get up
  get up

  verb

  to wake and rise from one's bed or cause to wake and rise from bed

get-up

American  

[get-uhp] / ˈgɛtˌʌp /

noun

1. getup.

2. get-up-and-go.

---

get up British  

verb

1. to wake and rise from one's bed or cause to wake and rise from bed

2. (intr) to rise to one's feet; stand up

3. (also preposition) to ascend or cause to ascend

   the old van couldn't get up the hill

4. to mount or help to mount (a bicycle, horse, etc)

5. to increase or cause to increase in strength

   the wind got up at noon

6. informal (tr) to dress (oneself) in a particular way, esp showily or elaborately

7. informal (tr) to devise or create

   to get up an entertainment for Christmas

8. informal (tr) to study or improve one's knowledge of

   I must get up my history

9. informal to be involved in

   he's always getting up to mischief

10. informal (intr) to win, esp in a sporting event

---

noun

1. informal a costume or outfit, esp one that is striking or bizarre

2. informal the arrangement or production of a book, etc

get up Idioms  

1. Arise from bed; also, sit or stand up. For example, Once I get up and have coffee, I'm ready to work . One of Irving Berlin's earliest hit songs was “Oh! How I hate to Get Up in the Morning” (1918). [Mid-1300s]

2. Ascend, mount, as in I hate to get up on a ladder . [First half of 1500s]

3. Create or organize, as in She got up the petition against zoning . [Late 1500s]

4. Dress or adorn, as in She plans to get herself up in a bizarre outfit . This usage is most often put in the form of the past participle ( got up ), as in The wedding albums were got up with ruffles and lace . [Late 1700s]

5. Draw on, create in oneself, as in I finally got up the nerve to quit , or Joe got up his courage and told the boss he was leaving . [Early 1800s] Also see get someone's back up ; also see the subsequent idioms beginning with get up .

---

Example Sentences

To get up to speed on AI model evaluations, Lakhani used a Google AI tool called NotebookLM to generate a podcast about the topic that he listened to on a plane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

"But doing press-ups is what is keeping me breathing well. I do it until I can't do any more. And then I get up and relax, and that's it."

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

“And I once saw him get up from lunch at our family table and jump into the pool with all his clothes.”

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026

He and others would help a detainee with a head injury who was unable to get up to take meals.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026

The room was silent for a moment, and then people started to get up and leave.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• awake
• awaken
• climb
• stand