PICK UP

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pick up mean? 

• PICK UP (verb)
  The verb PICK UP has 16 senses:

1. take and lift upward
2. take up by hand
3. give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift
4. gather or collect
5. get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
6. get in addition, as an increase
7. take into custody
8. buy casually or spontaneously
9. register (perceptual input)
10. lift out or reflect from a background
11. meet someone for sexual purposes
12. fill with high spirits; fill with optimism
13. get better
14. perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily
15. eat by pecking at, like a bird
16. gain or regain energy

  Familiarity information: PICK UP used as a verb is very familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PICK UP (verb)

Sense 1

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take and lift upward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

pick up; lift up; gather up

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

bring up; elevate; get up; lift; raise (raise from a lower to a higher position)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 2

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take up by hand

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

He picked up the book and started to read

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

touch (make physical contact with, come in contact with)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

We picked up a hitchhiker on the highway

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

transport (move something or somebody around; usually over long distances)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 4

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Gather or collect

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

gather up; pick up; call for; collect

Context examples:

You can get the results on Monday / She picked up the children at the day care center / They pick up our trash twice a week

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 5

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

get word; get wind; get a line; find out; hear; learn; discover; pick up; see

Context examples:

I learned that she has two grown-up children / I see that you have been promoted

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pick up"):

get the goods (discover some bad or hidden information about)

wise up (get wise to)

catch; trip up (detect a blunder or misstep)

ascertain (learn or discover with certainty)

discover; find (make a discovery)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Get in addition, as an increase

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

The candidate picked up thousands of votes after his visit to the nursing home

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 7

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Take into custody

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

arrest; collar; nail; nab; cop; apprehend; pick up

Context example:

the police nabbed the suspected criminals

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

clutch; prehend; seize (take hold of; grab)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 8

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Buy casually or spontaneously

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

I picked up some food for a snack

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

buy; purchase (obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction)

Domain category:

commerce; commercialism; mercantilism (transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The men pick up the chairs

Sense 9

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Register (perceptual input)

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

receive; pick up

Context example:

pick up a signal

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

comprehend; perceive (to become aware of through the senses)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pick up"):

hear (receive a communication from someone)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They pick up the information to them

Sense 10

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Lift out or reflect from a background

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context examples:

The scarf picks up the color of the skirt / His eyes picked up his smile

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

bring out; set off (direct attention to, as if by means of contrast)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 11

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Meet someone for sexual purposes

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

he always tries to pick up girls in bars

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

get together; meet (get together socially or for a specific purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 12

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Fill with high spirits; fill with optimism

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

elate; intoxicate; uplift; lift up; pick up

Context example:

Music can uplift your spirits

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

excite; shake; shake up; stimulate; stir (stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of)

Cause:

joy; rejoice (feel happiness or joy)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "pick up"):

beatify (make blessedly happy)

puff (make proud or conceited)

beatify; exalt; exhilarate; inebriate; thrill (fill with sublime emotion; tickle pink)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 13

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Get better

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

turn around; pick up

Context example:

Her performance in school picked up

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

ameliorate; better; improve; meliorate (get better)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sense 14

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

catch; pick up

Context examples:

I caught the aroma of coffee / He caught the allusion in her glance / ears open to catch every sound / The dog picked up the scent / Catch a glimpse

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

comprehend; perceive (to become aware of through the senses)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 15

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Eat by pecking at, like a bird

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

peck; pick up

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

eat (take in solid food)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 16

pick up [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Gain or regain energy

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

gain vigor; perk; perk up; percolate; pick up

Context example:

I picked up after a nap

Hypernyms (to "pick up" is one way to...):

convalesce; recover; recuperate (get over an illness or shock)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s