Go up meaning
Go up means to become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature. It can also mean to move to a higher place, or walk towards someone.
go up
go up · went · gone · going
The price of coffee has gone up again.
Go up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
go up
- The price of coffee has gone up again.
- Temperatures will go up to 30 degrees tomorrow.
- Did your rent go up this year?
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2
Move to a higher place, or walk towards someone
go up
- Go up the stairs. It’s the first door.
- She went up to the singer and asked for a photo.
- Shall we go up to the top of the tower?
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3
Be built
go up
- New flats are going up all over the city.
- A hotel went up next to the station.
- When did that tower go up?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use go up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is go up separable?
Go up has no object, but it can take a place: go up the stairs. To say how much, use by: The price went up by 20 cents.
Go up to someone means walk to them, usually to speak: A man went up to her and said hello.
Verb tenses for go up
| Present | I go up · she goes up |
|---|---|
| Past | went up |
| Present perfect | have gone up |
| -ing form | going up |
Common mistakes with go up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The shop went up its prices.
Right: The shop put up its prices.
Go up has no object. For what someone does to a price, use put up or raise.
Wrong: The price went up of 3 euros.
Right: The price went up by 3 euros.
Use by for the amount.
Wrong: Our sales are going high this year.
Right: Our sales are going up this year.
For a rise, say go up or rise.
Synonyms and opposites of go up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- risea bit more formal; common in the news
- increasethe formal word
- climbgo up slowly, or with effort
Go up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Petrol is more expensive now. The price has ___.
Go up means become higher.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Go up has no object; put up does.
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3A woman ___ to me in the street and asked for directions.
Go up to someone means walk to them.
More phrasal verbs with go
All phrasal verbs with go, by level, with an exercise
16 phrasal verbs start with go. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- go backA1return to a place where you were before
- go inA2enter a room or a building
- go intoA2enter a place
- go onB1continue, or last for a period of time
- go awayB1leave a person or a place
- go downB1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go forB1choose something
- go withB1look or taste good together with something
- go offB2start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
- go throughB2live through a difficult or unpleasant time
- go overB2check something carefully, looking for mistakes
- go aroundB2be enough for everyone in a group to have some
- go aheadB2start or continue doing something you planned
- go afterB2follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them
Go up FAQ
Questions people ask about go up.
What does go up in flames mean?
It means burn and be destroyed: The old barn went up in flames.
What is the difference between go up and rise?
They mean the same for prices and numbers. Rise is a bit more formal and common in the news.
What does go up to university mean?
In old-fashioned British English, it means start at a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge. Most people now say go to university.
Use go up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.