1 A2 neutral
to move from lying down or leaning back into an upright seated position
"She sat up in bed when she heard a noise downstairs."
“
Harry sat up in bed and fumbled for his glasses.
— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter series
inseparable
sit up
B1 neutral intransitive intransitive
to move into an upright sitting position, or to become suddenly alert and interested
In plain English
to sit straight up, or suddenly pay attention
What does "sit up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
to become suddenly attentive, interested, or impressed
"Investors sat up when the company announced record profits."
“
That made me sit up and take notice.
— Common public-interview wording; exact source not recalled
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic neutral
to stay awake and out of bed later than usual, often for a reason
"The parents sat up waiting for their son to come home."
inseparable
Usage tip
Common both literally and figuratively. The phrase 'sit up and take notice' is very frequent.
Words that pair with "sit up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
in bed straight attention notice suddenly awake
How to conjugate "sit up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sit up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
sits up
he/she/it
Past simple
sat up
yesterday
Past participle
sat up
have + pp
-ing form
sitting up
continuous
Hear "sit up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sit up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "sit up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.