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."
separable
get it up
C1 slang separable transitive
To achieve or maintain a male erection; informally, to raise or erect a physical object.
In plain English
For a man, to get an erection. (Very informal/vulgar.)
What does "get it up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
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.
Actually means
For a man, to get an erection. (Very informal/vulgar.)
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "get it up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
anymore still can't couldn't
How to conjugate "get it up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
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
Hear "get it up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "get it up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "get it up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
achieve an erection become aroused
Keep exploring
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