1 A2 informal
To be wearing a piece of clothing or accessory.
"She had on a bright red coat that made her easy to spot in the crowd."
separable
have on
B1 informal separable transitive
To be wearing something; to have plans or commitments; or to trick or tease someone.
In plain English
To be wearing something, or to have something planned, or to trick someone into believing something false.
What does "have on" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
(British) To have a scheduled commitment, appointment, or plan.
"I can't meet you on Thursday — I've got a lot on this week."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic slang
(British slang) To trick or tease someone into believing something that is not true.
"'They're giving everyone a day off tomorrow.' 'You're having me on — that never happens!'"
separable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
To have incriminating information or evidence against someone.
"The detective admitted they didn't have enough on the suspect to make an arrest."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To have something placed 'on' the body.
Actually means
To be wearing something, or to have something planned, or to trick someone into believing something false.
Usage tip
Multiple distinct senses. The 'wearing' sense is very common and informal. The 'commitments' sense ('I have a lot on this week') is chiefly British. The 'teasing/tricking' sense ('Are you having me on?') is British slang.
Words that pair with "have on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
clothes jacket nothing much something plans
How to conjugate "have on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
have on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
has on
he/she/it
Past simple
had on
yesterday
Past participle
had on
have + pp
-ing form
having on
continuous
Hear "have on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "have on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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