WordVale

take up

to begin a hobby; to occupy time or space

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (verb) to start doing an activity or having an interest as a hobby or job

2. (verb) to occupy or use space, time, or a position

3. (verb) to accept an offer, invitation, or challenge

4. (verb) to continue discussing something that was mentioned before

5. (verb) to lift or pick something up from the ground

Examples

• 1. She decided to take up tennis after watching the Olympics.
• 2. The new furniture takes up most of the living room.
• 3. He took up her offer to visit her house next weekend.

How to use take up

Take up is a versatile phrasal verb with distinct meanings depending on context. When referring to starting an activity or interest, it emphasizes commitment or adoption; when referring to space or time, it means to consume or occupy; when accepting an offer or challenge, it signals willingness to engage; when resuming discussion, it means to reopen a topic. The meaning is usually clear from context.

Common phrases

• take up a hobby
• take up space
• take up an offer
• take up the challenge
• take up residence
• take up where we left off

Synonyms

begin · start · adopt · undertake · occupy

Opposites

abandon · drop · refuse

Word family

taking up · took up · taken up

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse take up with pick up, though pick up typically refers to lifting something physically, while take up in sense 5 is less common for literal lifting and more common for the other senses.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

take after, take on, take over, touch on, turn down, turn out

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained