sit up
— phrasal verb with sit uk/sɪt/us/sɪt/verb present participle sitting, past tense and past participle sat
(STRAIGHT)
to sit with a straight back:
How many times do I have to tell you to sit up straight?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sitting and standing
- akimbo
- astride
- attention
- bestride
- cross-legged
- crouch
- pew
- plump (sb/sth) down
- rampant
- seated
- seating
- sit sth out
- stand
- stand aside
- stand round
- strike
- surface
- take a pew! idiom
- take the weight off your feet/legs idiom
- weight
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(STAY AWAKE)
to stay awake and not go to bed although it is late:
[ + -ing verb ] The book was so interesting that I sat up all night reading it.
I'll be late tonight, so don't sit up for (= wait for) me.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal physiology: not sleeping & not unconscious
- awoke
- be in the land of the living idiom
- come round
- consciousness
- insomniac
- keep sb up
- knock
- land
- morning person
- not sleep a wink idiom
- rise
- rise and shine! idiom
- stay
- stir
- toss
- wait up
- wake (sb) up
- waking
- woke
- woken
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(NOTICE)
informal to show interest or surprise:
The news that he was getting married really made her sit up.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Excited, interested and enthusiastic
- aflutter
- agog
- all of a flutter idiom
- amped
- animated
- be as high as a kite idiom
- delirious
- exhilarated
- fanatical
- fascinated
- fasten
- fasten on/upon sth
- flushed
- flutter
- overheated
- overzealous
- passionate
- pop-eyed
- potty
- sniff
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