1 A2 informal
To stop talking; used as a command to tell someone to be silent.
"Will you just shut up for a minute? I'm trying to concentrate."
“
Shut up and sing.
— Dixie Chicks, album title, 2006
inseparable
shut up
A2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To stop talking, or to cause someone/something to stop making noise.
In plain English
Stop talking! Be quiet!
What does "shut up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 informal
To cause someone to stop talking or making noise.
"Nothing could shut the toddler up once she started crying."
separable
3 B1 neutral
To close and secure a building, room, or business completely.
"After the last customer left, they shut up the shop and went home."
separable
4 B1 idiomatic slang
Used as an exclamation of surprise or disbelief, similar to 'No way!' or 'You're kidding!'
"'She won the lottery.' — 'Shut up! Are you serious?'"
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To move something upward into a closed position — the idiomatic leap is from physical closing to silencing.
Actually means
Stop talking! Be quiet!
Usage tip
As an imperative ('Shut up!'), this is considered rude and aggressive. Among close friends it can be used playfully. It can also mean to close something completely (e.g. 'shut up shop'), or informally to express disbelief ('Shut up! Really?!'). Common in both British and American English.
Words that pair with "shut up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
noise shop house voice dog children
How to conjugate "shut up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shut up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shuts up
he/she/it
Past simple
shut up
yesterday
Past participle
shut up
have + pp
-ing form
shutting up
continuous
Hear "shut up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shut 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.