1 A2 neutral
To remain awake instead of going to bed, especially later than usual
"The children begged their parents to let them stay up to watch the New Year's fireworks."
stay up
A2 neutral intransitive
To remain awake and not go to bed, especially later than usual
In plain English
To not go to bed and stay awake late
What does "stay up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To remain in an upright or elevated position without falling
"The decorations wouldn't stay up no matter how much tape we used."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stay up — to remain in an upright, awake state rather than lying down to sleep
Actually means
To not go to bed and stay awake late
Usage tip
Very common and used by all age groups. Children are often told they cannot 'stay up late'. Also used to describe waiting for someone or watching something. Can also refer to objects that remain in an upright or elevated position.
Words that pair with "stay up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
late all night until past midnight watch work
How to conjugate "stay up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stay up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stays up
he/she/it
Past simple
stayed up
yesterday
Past participle
stayed up
have + pp
-ing form
staying up
continuous
Hear "stay up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stay up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "stay up"
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Keep exploring
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