1 C1 informal
To climb something quickly and athletically, using both hands and feet.
"Without hesitating, the boy monkeyed up the rope and rang the bell at the top."
monkey up
C1 informal intransitive
To climb something quickly and nimbly, using hands and feet, in the manner of a monkey.
In plain English
Climb up something fast using your hands and feet, the way a monkey would.
What does "monkey up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To go upward in the manner of a monkey — agile, quick, using all four limbs.
Actually means
Climb up something fast using your hands and feet, the way a monkey would.
Usage tip
Very rare; not widely recorded in standard dictionaries. Found occasionally in informal writing or speech to describe agile climbing, especially by children. Not to be confused with the broader expression 'monkey with' (to tamper).
Words that pair with "monkey up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
tree pole rope fence ladder
How to conjugate "monkey up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
monkey up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
monkeys up
he/she/it
Past simple
monkeyed up
yesterday
Past participle
monkeyed up
have + pp
-ing form
monkeying up
continuous
Hear "monkey up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "monkey up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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