Stay up

Meaning

The idiom "stay up" means to remain awake or alert throughout the night, usually for the purpose of completing a task or staying busy. It can also mean to be vigilant or cautious in a situation.

Usage

• I need to stay up late tonight to finish my project before the deadline.
• The guard will stay up all night to keep watch over the building.
• Don't worry, I'll stay up with you until you fall asleep.
• It's important to stay up on current events in order to be informed about issues affecting our community.
• We need to stay up for our team's big game tomorrow! The usage of the idiom "stay up" can vary depending on the context. It can be used as an imperative or a statement, and its meaning can depend on the situation. In the first sentence, it is used as an imperative to instruct someone to stay awake. In the second sentence, it is used as a statement to describe the guard's duty.

Roots and History

The phrase "stay up" has been in use since at least the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the fact that people would stay awake during long periods of time to do work or engage in activities. Over time, it evolved into a common idiom used to describe staying alert throughout the night for various reasons.

Synonyms in English

• Stay awake
• Keep watch
• Keep vigilant
• Remain alert
• Keep awake

Synonyms in other languages

• En français: rester veilleux/veillé
• In Spanish: estar alerta/vigilar
• In Italian: stare attento/sorveglire
• In German: mit der Wache bleiben/aufmerksam sein
• In Japanese: 気ぼれる/悟める (kibore/mamero) - to stay up or be alert for a long period of time.

Similar Idioms

• son of a gun

• start from scratch

• smitten with