1 B2 idiomatic informal
To gain a social or competitive advantage over someone by doing something slightly better or more impressive.
"She bought an even bigger television just to one-up her neighbour."
separable
one up
B2 informal separable transitive
To gain an advantage over someone by doing something slightly better or more impressive than them.
In plain English
To do something a little better than someone else to show that you're ahead.
What does "one up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To respond to someone's story or achievement with a better or more extreme one of your own.
"Every time I tell a travel story, he tries to one-up me with somewhere more exotic."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To be one point up (ahead) of someone — from scoring in games.
Actually means
To do something a little better than someone else to show that you're ahead.
Usage tip
Often implies a competitive or slightly petty attitude. Derived from games where scoring one point more than an opponent wins. Commonly hyphenated as 'one-up someone'. Very common in casual American English.
Words that pair with "one up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
rival colleague friend sibling neighbour boss
How to conjugate "one up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
one up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ones up
he/she/it
Past simple
oned up
yesterday
Past participle
oned up
have + pp
-ing form
oning up
continuous
Hear "one up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "one up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.