up to
Language: English
Part of speech: prep
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈʌp tuː/
ipa: /ˈʌp tə/
ipa: /ˈʌp tə/
Etymology: From Middle English up to, from Old English up tō.
Senses: examples: text: She went up to the third floor.
text: Go up to the counter and ask.
text: But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice, “You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins.[…]”
ref: 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, “The Council with The Munchkins”, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC, page 21:
glosses: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see up, to.
examples: text: to feel up to it
text: Are you up to lifting something that heavy?
text: Are you up to the challenge?
text: Are you up to going to the beach?
synonyms: equal
glosses: Capable, ready or equipped, having sufficient material preconditions for, possibly willpower (at a particular moment).
examples: text: You can make up to five copies.
text: Violators may face a fine of up to $300.
glosses: As much as; no more than (also with of).
examples: text: Up to that point, I liked her.
text: I've read up to chapter 5.
glosses: Until.
examples: text: It’s up to you whether to get the blue one or the red one.
text: It's up to the prosecution to prove that the defendant is guilty.
synonyms: down to
glosses: Within the responsibility of, to be attributed to the sphere of influence of, having someone or something as authoritative in.
examples: text: to be up to
text: to get up to
text: What are you up to today?
glosses: Doing, involved in.
examples: text: He looked like a man up to no good.
text: What are you kids up to with all that toilet paper?
glosses: Doing, involved in.
Devising, scheming (planning something mischievous or inappropriate).
examples: text: There’s only one rooted tree with two leaves, up to ordering.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Considering all members of an equivalence class the same.
examples: text: “Oh,” said Mr. Pickwick. “My what, did you say?”
“Your chummage ticket,” replied Mr. Roker; “you’re up to that?”
“Not quite,” replied Mr. Pickwick, with a smile.
“Why,” said Mr. Roker, “it’s as plain as Salisbury. You’ll have a chummage ticket upon twenty-seven in the third, and them as is in the room will be your chums.”
ref: 1836 March – 1837 October, Charles Dickens, “Illustrative, like the preceding one, of the old Proverb, that Adversity brings a Man acquainted with strange Bed-fellows. Likewise containing Mr. Pickwick’s extraordinary and startling announcement to Mr. Samuel Weller.”, in The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1837, →OCLC, page 447:
glosses: Familiar with the meaning of; able to understand.
examples: text: I was up to Mr. Wayte, and, although he was a fairly easy and by no means strict master, […]
ref: 1899, Alfred Lubbock, Robin Lubbock, Memories of Eton and Etonians, page 62:
text: I was up to Mr. Luxmoore, who was to be a lifelong friend. The last days of my last half were like a dream. I was hardly conscious of the reality of things, and I did not yet fully realise that my Eton life was coming to an end […]
ref: 2022, Maurice Baring, The Puppet Show of Memory:
qualifier: Eton College
glosses: Taught by; in the class of.
Synonyms: sense: in mathematics
word: modulo
Derived terms: get up to
have had it up to here
up to here
up to no good
up to one's ears
up to one's eyeballs
up to one's eyes
up to one's neck
up to something
Related terms: down to
up for
up yours