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⬆️ To raise 😊 To encourage
to lift up

to lift up

107 1.1
To raise someone or something to a higher place
  • phrasal verb
  • /lɪft ʌp/
translation icon : levantar
  • She used both hands to lift up the heavy box onto the shelf.

It was like, no, change it, lift it up, it's too low.

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Examples

  • The young man opened Lois' door, leaned over her, and lifted her up in his strong dark arms.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The wheelchair shook as Mrs. Krause lifted herself up, calling "Emily, will you please?"

    Fiction book (1994)

  • And actually, if I lift this up, there we go.

  • So this piece right here, when you lift it up, see that lock in place?

  • OK, All right, so we're going to lift this up and put it onto something.

  • Help me lift her up.

    Mystery Men (1999)

  • I sat back down on the bed and lifted the heavy cast up with both hands.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • "Here," I said, lifting him up by the head into a sitting position.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • So when you put the plug in, it should lift up this thing here.

  • You can use this latch to lift up the base of this seat.

Synonyms

to pick up
vsto lift up
834 1.0

To lift something or someone from the ground with your hands

is more general and not limited to hand action
to lift
vsto lift up
553 1.0

To raise something higher by hand or with a machine

is the general action of moving something to a higher position
to elevate
vsto lift up
128 3.9

To move something to a higher place or level

is the everyday expression for simply moving something higher
to hoist
vsto lift up
79 4.7

To lift heavy things using ropes, pulleys, or a machine

covers the same upward movement but not limited to equipment use
to take up
vsto lift up
56 2.0

To lift something up, often with a spoon or tool

is the simple upward movement without specifying a scooping method
to gather up
vsto lift up
43 2.1

Bring things together by picking them up with your hands

is about moving something upward, not about gathering multiple items
to boost
vsto lift up
21 2.5

To push someone up from below so they reach a higher place

is the neutral action of moving an object upward without push detail
to push up
vsto lift up
11 2.1

Move something to a higher place by pushing from below or behind

is broader, not specifying the direction or source of force
to raise up
vsto lift up
7 2.1

To lift something or someone to a higher place

is the same basic action expressed without level emphasis
to jack up
vsto lift up
4 4.3

To lift a car or truck off the ground with a small lifting tool

includes any way of moving something upwards, not only jacks
to heave up
vsto lift up
  • Informal
3 4.5

To lift something heavy with a lot of effort

is neutral about how easy or hard the upward move is
to heft up
vsto lift up
  • Informal
1 6.1

To lift something with effort to see how heavy it is

focuses only on moving something to a higher position
to uprear
vsto lift up
  • Archaic
8.8

To lift something to a higher position

describes the same upward action but without stressing height

Antonyms

to drop
∞ 1.0

To let something fall suddenly or by accident

to lower
802 1.0

Make something go down in position, amount, or strength

How High

to hoist
79 4.7
to elevate
128 3.9
to lift up
107 1.1
to push up
11 2.1

Surface Forms

lift up infinitive
lifted up past
lifted up past participle
lifting up present participle
lifts up third person singular

Morphology

lift + up

The sense 'to fill someone with high spirits' is a clear metaphorical extension of the literal idea of 'lifting/raising' (lift + up → raise), and many languages use a similar 'raise morale' construction, so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer the meaning. However, the mapping is metaphorical and phrasal-verb uses vary by context, so the emotional sense is not fully predictable without some exposure.

Etymology

Lift up comes from a simple picture: the word lift means to pick something and up means to move it higher, like lifting a child so they can see over a crowd. So it means 'to raise'.