Shut up meaning
Shut up means to stop talking, or make someone stop talking (often rude). It can also mean to close a shop or house for a period of time (UK).
shut something up
shut up · shut · shutting
Will you shut up? I’m trying to sleep!
Shut up meanings and examples
2 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
Stop talking, or make someone stop talking (often rude)
shut something up
- Will you shut up? I’m trying to sleep!
- He wouldn’t shut up about his new car.
- Give the kids some sweets to shut them up.
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2
Close a shop or house for a period of time (UK)
shut something up
- They shut up the beach house for the winter.
- The baker shuts up early on Sundays.
- We shut the cottage up and went home.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use shut 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 shut up separable?
Shut up often has no object: Shut up! When you make someone quiet, the person goes in the middle: shut him up, shut the dog up.
Shut up is rude as an order. With friends, Shut up! can also mean No way, I don’t believe it! Shut up shop (UK) means stop work or close a business for the day.
Verb tenses for shut up
| Present | I shut up · she shuts up |
|---|---|
| Past | shut up |
| Present perfect | have shut up |
| -ing form | shutting up |
Common mistakes with shut up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The teacher said us to shut up.
Right: The teacher told us to be quiet.
Use tell someone to. And in class, be quiet is polite; shut up is rude.
Wrong: How can I shut up him?
Right: How can I shut him up?
A pronoun goes between shut and up.
Wrong: She never shuts up of her job.
Right: She never shuts up about her job.
Use about for the topic someone keeps talking about.
Synonyms and opposites of shut up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- be quietthe polite way to ask someone to stop talking
- keep quietnot talk, or not tell a secret
- husha soft word to make a child or crowd quiet
Shut up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1My brother wouldn’t ___ during the film, so I moved seats.
Shut up means stop talking.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes between shut and up.
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3Your friend says, “I got the job!” You say, “Shut up! Really?” What do you mean?
Between friends, Shut up! can show surprise, not rudeness.
More phrasal verbs with shut
2 phrasal verbs start with shut. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Shut up FAQ
Questions people ask about shut up.
Is shut up rude?
As an order, yes, quite rude. Say be quiet or could you keep it down, please? Between close friends, it is often a joke.
What does shut up mean when you are surprised?
Among friends, Shut up! can mean No way! or I can’t believe it! It is informal and friendly in this use.
Shut up vs shut down: what is the difference?
Shut up is about talking. Shut down is about businesses and machines stopping: The factory shut down.
Use shut 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.