pick up
pick
pÉĒk
pik
up
ƌp
ap
/ˈpÉĒk ˈʌp/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "pick up"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

to pick up
[phrase form: pick]
01

āϤ⧋āϞāĻž, āĻ“āĻ āĻžāύ⧋

to take and lift something or someone up
Transitive: to pick up sb/sth
to pick up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She picked her cat up to keep it from scratching the furniture.
āϏ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϞāϟāĻŋāϕ⧇ āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύāĻŋāϞ āϝāĻžāϤ⧇ āĻāϟāĻŋ āφāϏāĻŦāĻžāĻŦāĻĒāĻ¤ā§āϰ āφāρāϚāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāύ⧋ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāϰāϤ āϰāĻžāϖ⧇āĨ¤
02

āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āϏāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to let a person waiting by a road or street to get inside one's vehicle and give them a ride
Transitive: to pick up a passenger
to pick up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She stops to pick up strangers stranded in the rain.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻŦ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋāϤ⧇ āφāϟāϕ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻž āĻ…āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻŋāϤāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĨāĻžāĻŽā§‡āύāĨ¤
03

āωāĻ¤ā§āϤāϰ āĻĻāĻŋāύ, āĻĢā§‹āύ āωāĻ āĻžāύ⧋

to answer a ringing phone
Intransitive
Transitive: to pick up the phone
to pick up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The phone rang three times before he finally picked up.
āĻĢā§‹āύāϟāĻŋ āϤāĻŋāύāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāϜāĻžāύ⧋āϰ āĻĒāϰ āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύāĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
04

āϤ⧋āϞāĻž, āύāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to retrieve an item from a location where it was left
Transitive: to pick up sth
to pick up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I need to pick up my dry cleaning before the shop closes.
āĻĻā§‹āĻ•āĻžāύ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻĄā§āϰāĻžāχ āĻ•ā§āϞāĻŋāύāĻŋāĻ‚ āύāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
05

āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to experience a positive rise in something
Intransitive
to pick up definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Business always picks up during the holiday season.
āϛ⧁āϟāĻŋāϰ āĻŽā§ŒāϏ⧁āĻŽā§‡ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏāĻž āϏāĻŦāϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āĨ¤
06

āĻ—ā§āϰāĻšāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to take on a role of authority or leadership
Transitive: to pick up a position of authority
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
When the CEO retired, her successor was ready to pick up the reins.
āϏāĻŋāχāĻ“ āϝāĻ–āύ āĻ…āĻŦāϏāϰ āύāĻŋāϞ⧇āύ, āϤāĻžāϰ āωāĻ¤ā§āϤāϰāϏ⧂āϰāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāϞ āϧāϰāĻž āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
07

āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻž, āĻ…āĻ°ā§āϜāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to learn about something, typically without intending to
Transitive: to pick up knowledge
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
You can pick up a lot of interesting facts in museums.
āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āϜāĻžāĻĻ⧁āϘāϰ⧇ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āφāĻ•āĻ°ā§āώāĻŖā§€āϝāĻŧ āϤāĻĨā§āϝ āĻļāĻŋāĻ–āϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰ⧇āύāĨ¤
08

āĻ—ā§āϰ⧇āĻĢāϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϧāϰāĻž

to arrest someone
Transitive: to pick up sb
Informal
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
They picked him up for questioning.
āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āϜāĻŋāĻœā§āĻžāĻžāϏāĻžāĻŦāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ—ā§āϰ⧇āĻĢāϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
09

āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻœā§‹āϰ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

(of a color) to enhance or complement another color by being of a similar shade
Transitive: to pick up a color
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The soft beige curtains pick up the warm hues of the wooden furniture in the room.
āύāϰāĻŽ āĻŦ⧇āχāϜ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āĻĻāĻž āϘāϰ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻžāϠ⧇āϰ āφāϏāĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇āϰ āωāĻˇā§āĻŖ āϰāĻ™āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϕ⧇ āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
10

āĻ•āĻŋāύāĻž, āĻ•ā§āϰāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to purchase something
Transitive: to pick up sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I picked up some groceries on my way home.
āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻĢ⧇āϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒāĻĨ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁ āĻŽā§āĻĻāĻŋāĻ–āĻžāύāĻž āĻ•āĻŋāύ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāĨ¤
11

āĻŽāύ⧋āĻŦāϞ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āωāĻ¤ā§āϏāĻžāĻšāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to boost someone's spirits
Transitive: to pick up sb/sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
After a week of rain, the forecast of sunshine picked up the town's spirits.
āĻāĻ• āϏāĻĒā§āϤāĻžāĻš āĻŦ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋāϰ āĻĒāϰ, āϰ⧋āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ­āĻžāϏ āĻļāĻšāϰ⧇āϰ āĻŽāύ⧋āĻŦāϞ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
12

āϏ⧁āĻ¸ā§āĻĨ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to recover one's strength, often after a period of fatigue
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
After a nap, she picked up and felt ready to continue her work.
āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϘ⧁āĻŽā§‡āϰ āĻĒāϰ⧇, āϏ⧇ āϏ⧁āĻ¸ā§āĻĨ āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āϚāĻžāϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¸ā§āϤ⧁āϤ āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰāϞāĨ¤
13

āĻĒāĻŋāĻ• āφāĻĒ, āĻĢā§āϞāĻžāĻ°ā§āϟ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to approach someone, often with a romantic or sexual intent
Transitive: to pick up sb
Informal
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She 's not the type to pick up guys at a club.
āϏ⧇ āĻ•ā§āϞāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āϛ⧇āϞ⧇āĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒāĻŋāĻ• āφāĻĒ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϧāϰāύ⧇āϰ āύāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
14

āϏāύāĻžāĻ•ā§āϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϞāĻ•ā§āĻˇā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to notice something, such as a sense, sign, etc.
Transitive: to pick up a sense or sign
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
With his keen hearing, he can pick up the slightest sound in the night.
āϤāĻžāϰ āϤ⧀āĻ•ā§āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻļā§āϰāĻŦāĻŖāĻļāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇, āϏ⧇ āϰāĻžāϤ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻŽāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϝāϤāĻŽ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāĻ“ āĻļ⧁āύāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
15

āĻ…āĻ°ā§āϜāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ…āύ⧁āĻļā§€āϞāύ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻ§ā§āϝāĻŽā§‡ āĻļ⧇āĻ–āĻž

to acquire a new skill or language through practice and application rather than formal instruction
Transitive: to pick up a skill or language
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
You 'd be surprised how quickly children pick up new technology.
āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āφāĻļā§āϚāĻ°ā§āϝ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āύ āϝ⧇ āĻļāĻŋāĻļ⧁āϰāĻž āύāϤ⧁āύ āĻĒā§āϰāϝ⧁āĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻ•āϤ āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻļāĻŋāϖ⧇ āύ⧇āϝāĻŧāĨ¤
16

āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āϤ⧀āĻŦā§āϰāϤāĻž āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

(of the wind or other natural forces) to increase in strength or intensity
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The forecast says the rain will pick up by the afternoon.
āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ­āĻžāϏ āĻŦāϞāϛ⧇ āϝ⧇ āĻŦāĻŋāϕ⧇āϞ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻŦ⧃āĻˇā§āϟāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
17

āĻ—ā§āϰāĻšāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϧāϰāĻž

to receive or detect a signal or transmission from a radio station or other broadcasting device
Transitive: to pick up a signal
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I can pick up the local radio station in this area.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāχ āĻ…āĻžā§āϚāϞ⧇ āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύ⧀āϝāĻŧ āϰ⧇āĻĄāĻŋāĻ“ āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āĻļāύ āϧāϰāĻž āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋāĨ¤
18

āϚāĻžāϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āĻĒ⧁āύāϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to resume something, a story, activity, or relationship
Transitive: to pick up an activity
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
They had a disagreement last year, but now they 're trying to pick up their friendship again.
āĻ—āϤ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŽāĻ§ā§āϝ⧇ āĻŽāϤāĻŦāĻŋāϰ⧋āϧ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ, āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧁ āĻāĻ–āύ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻ¨ā§āϧ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ āĻĒ⧁āύāϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤
19

āϧāϰāĻž, āφāĻ•ā§āϰāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to catch an infectious disease or illness from someone or something
Transitive: to pick up a disease
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
After swimming in the contaminated pool, many people picked up skin rashes.
āĻĻā§‚āώāĻŋāϤ āĻĒ⧁āϞ⧇ āϏāĻžāρāϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϟāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ, āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āϞ⧋āĻ• āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāϕ⧇āϰ āĻĢ⧁āϏāϕ⧁āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻĒ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
20

āĻ—āϤāĻŋ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to increase in speed or pace suddenly or gradually
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Business usually picks up during the holiday season
āϛ⧁āϟāĻŋāϰ āĻŽā§ŒāϏ⧁āĻŽā§‡ āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏāĻž āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧ⧇ āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
21

āĻ“āĻ āĻž, āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāύ⧋

to stand up again after falling
Transitive: to pick up oneself
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
After tripping on the sidewalk, she quickly picked herself up.
āĻĢ⧁āϟāĻĒāĻžāϤ⧇ āĻšā§‹āρāϚāϟ āĻ–āĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ, āϏ⧇ āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡āϕ⧇ āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύāĻŋāϞāĨ¤
22

āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϗ⧁āĻ›āĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to restore order or cleanliness to a space or object that has become disorganized or messy
Dialectamerican flagAmerican
Transitive: to pick up sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Please pick your toys up and put them away before bedtime.
āϘ⧁āĻŽāĻžāύ⧋āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϖ⧇āϞāύāĻžāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύāĻŋāύ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϏ⧇āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āĻĻā§‚āϰ⧇ āϰāĻžāϖ⧁āύāĨ¤
23

āϤ⧁āϞ⧇ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āφāϏāĻž

to go to a place in a vehicle to collect someone who is waiting for one
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I have to pick up my brother from the bus stop.
āφāĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻžāϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻĒ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻ­āĻžāχāϕ⧇ āύāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
LanGeek
āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ