Stay up meaning
Stay up means to go to bed later than usual. It can also mean to stay in a high position and not fall down.
stay up
stay up · stayed · staying
We stayed up till two watching films.
Stay 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
Go to bed later than usual
stay up
- We stayed up till two watching films.
- Can I stay up late tonight? It’s Friday!
- Don’t stay up too late. You have an exam tomorrow.
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2
Stay in a high position and not fall down
stay up
- These trousers won’t stay up without a belt.
- Will the tent stay up in this wind?
- The pictures didn’t stay up on the wall for long.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use stay 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 stay up separable?
Stay up has no object: We stayed up all night. To say why, use to + verb or -ing: stay up to watch the match, stay up talking.
Stay up is a choice to go to bed late. Wait up means stay awake until someone comes home: Don’t wait up for me.
Verb tenses for stay up
| Present | I stay up · she stays up |
|---|---|
| Past | stayed up |
| Present perfect | have stayed up |
| -ing form | staying up |
Common mistakes with stay up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Last night I stayed up at 1 a.m.
Right: Last night I stayed up until 1 a.m.
Use until or till for the time you finally went to bed.
Wrong: I stayed awake up all night.
Right: I stayed up all night.
Stay up already means stay awake. Use one or the other.
Wrong: We stood up late talking.
Right: We stayed up late talking.
Stand up means get on your feet. For bedtime, use stay up.
Synonyms and opposites of stay up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- stay awakenot sleep, maybe in bed
- sit upUK; stay up, often waiting for someone
- pull an all-nighterinformal; stay up all night to study or work
Opposite
- go to bed earlygo to sleep before your usual time
- sleep insleep later than usual in the morning
Stay up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The kids wanted to ___ to see the fireworks at midnight.
Stay up means go to bed later than usual.
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2Choose the right sentence.
To give a reason, use stay up to + verb.
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3“This shelf won’t stay up.” What is the problem?
Stay up can mean stay in place and not fall.
More phrasal verbs with stay
3 phrasal verbs start with stay. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Stay up FAQ
Questions people ask about stay up.
Stay up vs wake up: what is the difference?
Wake up means stop sleeping. Stay up means not go to bed. You stay up late, then it is hard to wake up.
What does stay up late mean?
It means go to bed later than you normally do. I stayed up late to finish my book.
Stay up vs wait up: what is the difference?
Stay up is for any reason. Wait up means stay awake until someone comes home: Mum always waits up for me.
Use stay 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.