To show courage, resilience, or decisiveness, often used as a feminist riff on 'man up'.
To be brave and deal with a hard situation — the female-positive version of 'man up'.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To show courage, toughness, or decisiveness in a difficult situation — used as a gender-conscious alternative to 'man up'.
"It's time to woman up and ask for that pay rise you've been putting off for months."
Used humorously or sarcastically to highlight that bravery and resilience are not masculine traits, by applying the structure of 'man up' to women.
""Man up?" she laughed. "No thanks — I'll woman up instead.""
A relatively recent phrase that emerged as a deliberate counter to the gendered phrase 'man up'. Used both seriously (to encourage women to be assertive) and humorously (to mock the sexist assumption that courage is male). More common in American English. Sometimes used by any gender to challenge the norms behind 'man up'.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "woman up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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