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Glite Dictionary
to turn up the volume

to turn up the volume

10 2.0
Make the sound from a radio, TV, or speaker louder
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : subir el volumen
  • Could you just turn up the volume on the TV?
  • turn up the volume of the radio
  • turn up the volume on the TV
  • turned up the volume on the television

There were just big knobs, you know, turn up the volume and then that was it.

Examples

  • Could you please turn up the volume, Mr. Hoffmann?

    2012 (2009)

  • She reaches for the radio and turns up the volume without looking.

    Return to Sender (2004)

  • It's time to turn up the volume.

    Death Proof (2007)

  • - Turn up the volume, please.

    You People (2018)

  • Let's turn up the volume.

    What Women Want (2000)

  • The supervisor reaches over and turns up the volume on the speaker.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Alex quickly grabs the remote and turns up the volume.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • With trembling fingers, he reaches over and turns up the volume of the radio transmission.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The guard turns up the volume on Jeopardy, drowning Stanley out.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • Could you please turn up the volume on the radio? It's too quiet.

Synonyms

to crank up
vsto turn up the volume
  • Informal
39 3.8

To increase the level or strength of something, for example volume, production

refers specifically to making device sound louder rather than general increase
to bump up
vsto turn up the volume
23 3.4

To raise prices or amounts by a lot

is specifically about increasing audio loudness on a device
to amplify
vsto turn up the volume
  • Specialized
23 3.7

To make a sound or electronic signal louder using equipment

focuses on changing loudness on a device rather than signal processing
to crank up the volume
vsto turn up the volume
  • Informal
1 3.4

Make the sound louder on a radio, music player, or TV

refers generally to increasing device loudness without method detail
to bump up the volume
vsto turn up the volume
3.4

Make the sound louder by turning the volume control

is general action of raising loudness from an audio device
to jack up the volume
vsto turn up the volume
  • Informal
4.8

Turn a control to make music louder

is the neutral term for raising loudness on equipment
to louden
vsto turn up the volume
7.5

To become louder or make a sound louder

is about increasing device loudness specifically, not any sound source
to volumize
vsto turn up the volume
  • Specialized
5.8

To make recorded sound louder

applies to live device loudness rather than postproduction processing

Antonyms

to turn down
191 2.7

Make the sound or heat from something lower, for example music

to mute
21 3.1

To stop a sound or notification from making noise

How Loud

to blast
66 4.1
to crank up the volume
  • Informal
1 3.4
to turn up the volume
10 2.0

Surface Forms

turn up the volume infinitive
turned up the volume past
turned up the volume past participle
turning up the volume present participle
turns up the volume third person singular

Morphology

turn + up + the + volume

The meaning is directly compositional: the phrasal verb 'turn up' (raise/increase) combined with 'volume' (loudness) yields 'increase the loudness', so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the MWE. This is a common, non-idiomatic verb+noun construction found across languages, making it immediately transparent rather than metaphorical or idiomatic.

Etymology

Turn up the volume comes from old radios and speakers with a round knob: you physically turn the knob and move it up so the volume gets louder. So, it means 'to make the sound louder'.