1.
to get out of bed or stand up from a seat
“I get up at 7 every day.”
“Get up! You're late.”
“She got up to answer the door.”
Synonyms: to rise, to stand up, to get out of bed
Phrasal verb
What does get up mean?
Meaning: to get out of bed; to stand up
B1
This page for:
Quick answer
Get up = to get out of bed (or to stand up from a chair). It has no direct object: I get up at 7 = I leave my bed at 7. Don't confuse it with wake up = to stop sleeping (you can still be in bed).
Meanings of the phrasal verb
2.
to organise something (an event, a project), idiomatic
figurative“They got up a petition.”
Synonyms: to organize, to set up
Word order
Intransitive (no object)
This phrasal verb does not take an object.
Forms
- Present Simple:
- get up
- Past Simple:
- got up
- Past participle:
- got up (UK) / gotten up (US)
- -ing form:
- getting up
Common mistakes to avoid
Get up is not wake up
Get up = to leave your bed (the physical action). Wake up = to stop sleeping (you open your eyes). You can wake up at 6 and get up at 7.
No direct object
Never say I get up the bed ❌. Get up has no direct object: I get up. You can add out of bed if you need it (I got up out of bed), but this is rare.
Practice quiz
Question 1 / 3The Big Challenge question bank
Related pages: get up
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What does get up mean?+
Get up means to get out of bed, or to stand up after sitting. I get up at 7 = I leave my bed at 7. It is a phrasal verb with no direct object.
What is the difference between get up and wake up?+
Wake up = to stop sleeping (you open your eyes). Get up = to leave your bed (the physical action). I woke up at 6 but I got up at 7 = I stopped sleeping at 6, but I stayed in bed until 7.
Is get up separable?+
No. Get up has no direct object, so you cannot separate it. I get up the bed ❌. Just say I get up.
What are the forms of get up?+
Present Simple: I get up / he gets up. Past Simple: I got up. Past participle: got up (British English) / gotten up (American English). -ing form: getting up (with a double t).
Does get up have another meaning?+
Yes, but it is less common: to organise something (an event, a petition). They got up a petition = they organised a petition. This is an idiom (a fixed phrase).
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/phrasal-verbs/get-up
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.