pick up
phrasal verb·5 senses·particle up
Meanings
Lift something off a surface
Why “up”? A person or thing moves from a lower place or position to a higher one.
“Leo picked up his keys from the kitchen table before work.”
“He picked up the keys.”
Collect a person or thing, especially in a vehicle
Why “up”? Filling to the top. Reaching the upper limit means finishing.
“Leo will pick Maya up in his car before they go out to the club.”
“She picked up the parcel on her way home.”
“Maya picked up the train tickets from the station machine.”
Acquire a skill, language or habit gradually and informally
Why “up”? More of something is higher. Quantity, intensity and speed all rise.
“She picked up Spanish while travelling.”
“He picked up bad habits at university.”
Improve or get better, of business, weather, health or mood
“Sales picked up in December.”
“His mood picked up after the news.”
Detect a faint signal, smell or piece of information
Why “up”? A person, thing, signal, idea, or truth becomes present, visible, active, or known.
“The radio picked up a weak signal.”
“I picked up a strange noise in the background.”
Memory hook
You lift someone or something up off the ground — or pick up a habit along the way.
Common mistake
I'll pick up you at eight.
I'll pick you up at eight.
A pronoun goes in the middle: pick you up.
Natural collocations
The word partners “pick up” most often appears with — learn the phrase, not just the verb.
In conversation
How will you get to the party?
Dan's picking me up at eight.
Don't confuse with
Pick up means lift something off a surface. Pick out means choose something from a group.
Test yourself
“Leo picked up his keys from the kitchen table before work.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
pick out
A contrast learners often mix up
Choose something from a group
add up
Same up pattern: finishing
Combine into a larger total; Make sense or seem true
back up
Same up pattern: increase
Make a digital copy of data as a safeguard; Support someone's claim, story or position; Move backward along the same path; (of traffic or water) accumulate because flow is blocked
beef up
Same up pattern: increase
Strengthen or reinforce
blow up
Same up pattern: appearance
Explode or be destroyed by an explosion; Inflate something by filling it with air; Suddenly become very angry; Enlarge a photograph or image; (of a storm or argument) develop quickly into something serious
break up
Same up pattern: finishing
Break into pieces; End a relationship or gathering
bring up
Same up pattern: appearance
Mention or raise a topic
build up
Same up pattern: increase
Gradually increase in amount, strength or intensity; Develop or strengthen something over time; Make someone or something seem more important or impressive than they are; Encourage or strengthen someone emotionally; Create momentum towards a moment or event
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