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get up

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get someone up

to wake someone up; to get someone out of bed. I've got to get John up, or he will be late for work. Can you get yourself up, or should I call you?

See also: get, up

get someone up (for something)

to get someone into peak condition for something; to prepare someone for something. I hope we can get Walter up for the race. Sharon was not quite prepared for the race, and the trainer did everything possible to get her up.

See also: get, up

get something up

to organize, plan, and assemble something. Let's get a team up and enter the tournament. I think we can get up a team quite easily.

See also: get, up

get up

to wake up and get out of bed. What time do you usually get up? I get up when I have to.

See also: get, up

get up (from something)

to go to a standing position from a lower position. She got up from the chair and walked to the door. I don't want to get up from this hammock unless I just have to.

See also: get, up

get up something

to manage to climb something. I was so tired I couldn't get up the stairs. The entire group was able to get up the side of the mountain.

See also: get, up

get up something

also get something up

to emotionally prepare yourself to do something I finally got up the courage to let her read some of my poetry.

See also: get, up

get up

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.

See also: get, up

get up

v.

1. To arise from bed or rise to one's feet: We must be quiet until the babies get up from their nap. I got up from the chair and turned the light on. During intermission I got up and went to the lobby.

2. To go to or over the top of something: You can reach the higher shelf if you get up on that stool.

3. To reach some particular level or place: The temperature got up to 100 degrees. This floor is restricted—How did you get up here? It took an hour to get up the mountain.

4. To act as the creator or organizer of something: We got up a petition against the plan for a new garbage dump.

5. To build up or achieve some mental state that is needed to do something: I stood on the edge of the diving board until I got the courage up to jump. I finally got up the strength to tell my boss I needed a raise.

6. To dress or adorn oneself. Used chiefly reflexively: She got herself up in a bizarre outfit.

See also: get, up