get it up
C1 slang separable transitive
In simple words
For a man, to get an erection. (Very informal/vulgar.)
Literal meaning: To lift or raise something to an upright position — the literal sense is transparent but rarely used due to the strong association with the vulgar meaning.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
slang
For a man, to achieve a sexual erection. (Vulgar slang; often used in the negative.)
"The film explored how stress can affect a man's ability to get it up."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
The dominant meaning in everyday speech is the sexual one, which is vulgar slang. Learners should be aware of this ambiguity when using the phrase in any context. The literal sense (raising an object) is avoided by most speakers for this reason.
Commonly used with
anymore still can't couldn't
Forms
Base
get it up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gets it up
he/she/it
Past simple
got it up
yesterday
Past participle
got/gotten it up
have + pp
-ing form
getting it up
continuous
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Synonyms
achieve an erection become aroused
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