to curl up
57
2.8
- phrasal verb
- /kɜrl ʌp/
- Informal
:
acurrucarse
- After a long day, she loves to curl up on the couch with a good book.
Just I was literally on my bed curled up just uncontrollably crying.
- Just I was literally on my bed curled up just uncontrollably crying.
- Must take after me, although I'm not sure I could curl up on a carpet and fall asleep.
- I want I I want pictures of them curled up together in his plushy bed.
- Just the chance to curl up with the book and get your thoughts and insights.
- So the snakes come up through the mosquito net and it must have curled up on my chest.
- Hence why I'm sat here with a box big enough for me to curl up in.
Examples
-
"Oh, honey, baby, darling, I am dying to curl up with you in front of a hot fire."
-
And I am at the foot of my bed, curled up in a ball.
-
I might curl up on the floor like your buddy.
-
Then, turning to her side, she curled up and fell into a deep sleep.
Fiction book (1990) -
I got in next to her, and she curled up against me and went back to sleep.
Fiction book (1990) -
Curled up on the floor like a baby.
-
I'm just gonna curl up here with my guitar.
-
When I found her, she was curled up on a patch of moss.
Fiction book (1992) -
I wanted to just curl up on the couch and suck my thumb and feel sad.
-
Taking a pillow and blanket from the linen closet, she curled up on the sofa.
Fiction book (1993)
Synonyms
1
4.6
Curl the body inward because of cold or fear
Antonyms
How Curled
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to move your body into a compact, curled position' is directly derivable from 'curl' (to bend or coil) plus the particle 'up' indicating a change into that shape; the composition maps straightforwardly onto the described posture. This motion/position combination is a regular phrasal-verb pattern and is likely transparent to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Curl up comes from the image of a small animal or person making a ball: imagine a cat curls its body up, tucking its legs and head close to stay warm. That's why curl up means to move your body so your arms and legs are close to you to 'feel comfortable', 'warm', or 'safe'.