1 C1 idiomatic informal
To behave bravely or responsibly in a difficult situation; to stop being weak or avoiding responsibility.
"Come on, person up — you need to tell your boss what really happened."
person up
C1 informal intransitive
An informal, gender-neutral alternative to 'man up', meaning to be brave, take responsibility, or deal with a difficult situation without complaining.
In plain English
To stop being scared or weak and deal with a difficult situation bravely.
What does "person up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
A relatively recent coinage used as a gender-neutral substitute for 'man up', which many people consider sexist. Not yet widespread or standard, and may not be understood in all contexts. More common in progressive or socially aware speech communities. Still quite rare in formal or written contexts.
Words that pair with "person up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
deal with it face it handle it responsibility challenge
How to conjugate "person up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
person up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
persons up
he/she/it
Past simple
personed up
yesterday
Past participle
personed up
have + pp
-ing form
personing up
continuous
Hear "person up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "person up"
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