English verb: pick up | |||
1. | pick up (motion) take and lift upward | ||
Synonyms | gather up, lift up | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | bring up, elevate, get up, lift, raise | ||
2. | pick up (contact) take up by hand | ||
Samples | He picked up the book and started to read. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | touch | ||
3. | pick up (motion) give a passenger or a hitchhiker a lift | ||
Samples | We picked up a hitchhiker on the highway. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | transport | ||
4. | pick up (possession) gather or collect | ||
Samples | You can get the results on Monday. She picked up the children at the day care center. They pick up our trash twice a week. | ||
Synonyms | call for, collect, gather up | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | acquire, get | ||
5. | pick up (cognition) get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally | ||
Samples | I learned that she has two grown-up children. I see that you have been promoted. | ||
Synonyms | discover, find out, get a line, get wind, get word, hear, learn, see | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | ascertain, catch, discover, find, get the goods, trip up, wise up | ||
Verb group | find, see, witness | ||
6. | pick up (possession) get in addition, as an increase | ||
Samples | The candidate picked up thousands of votes after his visit to the nursing home. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something. Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | acquire, get | ||
7. | pick up (contact) take into custody | ||
Samples | The police nabbed the suspected criminals. | ||
Synonyms | apprehend, arrest, collar, cop, nab, nail | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | clutch, prehend, seize | ||
8. | pick up (possession) buy casually or spontaneously | ||
Samples | I picked up some food for a snack. | ||
Examples | The men pick up the chairs | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | buy, purchase | ||
Domain category | commerce, commercialism, mercantilism | ||
9. | pick up (perception) register (perceptual input) | ||
Samples | Pick up a signal. | ||
Examples | They pick up the information to them | ||
Synonyms | receive | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | comprehend, perceive | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | hear | ||
10. | pick up (change) lift out or reflect from a background | ||
Samples | The scarf picks up the color of the skirt. His eyes picked up his smile. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | bring out, set off | ||
11. | pick up (social) meet someone for sexual purposes | ||
Samples | He always tries to pick up girls in bars. | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | get together, meet | ||
12. | pick up (emotion) fill with high spirits; fill with optimism | ||
Samples | Music can uplift your spirits. | ||
Synonyms | elate, intoxicate, lift up, uplift | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s somebody. Something ----s somebody | ||
Broader (hypernym) | excite, shake, shake up, stimulate, stir | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | beatify, beatify, exalt, exhilarate, inebriate, puff, thrill, tickle pink | ||
Cause | joy, rejoice | ||
Antonyms | cast down, deject, depress, dismay, dispirit, demoralise, demoralize, get down | ||
13. | pick up (change) improve significantly; go from bad to good | ||
Samples | Her performance in school picked up. | ||
Synonyms | turn around | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate | ||
14. | pick up (perception) perceive with the senses quickly, suddenly, or momentarily | ||
Samples | I caught the aroma of coffee. He caught the allusion in her glance. Ears open to catch every sound. The dog picked up the scent. Catch a glimpse. | ||
Synonyms | catch | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | comprehend, perceive | ||
15. | pick up (consumption) eat by pecking at, like a bird | ||
Synonyms | peck | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | eat | ||
16. | pick up (body) gain or regain energy | ||
Samples | I picked up after a nap. | ||
Synonyms | gain vigor, percolate, perk, perk up | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | convalesce, recover, recuperate | ||