to pick up
165
3.0
- phrasal verb
- /pɪk ʌp/
:
aumentar
- Commentary on children's sleep, though still not abundant, picked up in this context as well.
- pick up the pace
- pick up speed
- pick up momentum
But eventually it will roll down, pick up some speed, and fall off the top.
- But eventually it will roll down, pick up some speed, and fall off the top.
Examples
-
The rate of growth slowed in the south and picked up in the north.
Academic text (2005) -
No, no, but things are picking up down at the firm.
-
And that kind of just really picked up all the growth.
-
Em, I tell you, the music business really picked up, just like you said.
-
Business has really picked up, huh?
-
Business is picking up, but not great.
-
New York consumer spending picked up somewhat in the New York region.
-
But there are signs that entry-level recruiting has picked up in recent years.
Academic text (2017) -
The lucky ones receive faxes instructing them to pick up money at the Western Union office.
Academic text (2004) -
The team's performance has really picked up since they started training harder.
Synonyms
215
3.7
To help someone become better off or more confident
157
3.2
To make someone or something better after a bad time
74
3.4
Make something greater in amount, speed or strength
33
3.7
Become more lively or cheerful after being tired
28
4.1
Make someone feel excited and full of energy
23
3.4
To raise prices or amounts by a lot
23
4.0
To move or work faster
23
3.2
To make someone feel happier and more hopeful
19
3.7
To make someone feel happier and more hopeful
16
3.1
Become more lively and cheerful after feeling tired or sad
14
6.3
To become or make someone more cheerful and confident
3
7.0
Make someone feel happier and full of energy
1
3.4
Help someone feel happier
To give help to someone or something to make them stronger
To make someone feel more cheerful and confident
To make someone feel happier or more lively
Antonyms
How Improved
52
4.1
41
3.7
327
3.0
165
3.0
904
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
pick + up
The police sense 'to take someone into custody' is a pragmatic extension of the basic, transparent meaning 'pick up' = 'collect/take someone' (pick + up). However, the specific legal sense 'arrest' is a specialised interpretation that is not fully predictable from the parts alone and typically requires contextual or cultural knowledge, so it is only partially transparent to learners.
Etymology
Pick up meaning to improve or increase comes from the picture of gaining speed or strength, as when something moves faster because it is picked up and carried forward. That's why it means 'to get better, stronger, or faster'.