lock up
B2Informal to Formal (context-dependent)
Definition
Meaning
To secure a building by fastening its doors and windows; to imprison or confine someone.
To make capital or assets unavailable or illiquid; to fix something immovably in position or state.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a phrasal verb, it can be transitive and separable ('lock the place up'). In finance, 'lock-up' (hyphenated noun/adjective) refers to a period where shares cannot be sold.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the terms identically. 'Lockup' as a single word for a small jail or storage unit is slightly more common in American English.
Connotations
Primarily negative when referring to imprisonment; neutral for securing property.
Frequency
High frequency in both, with similar distribution.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Sb lock up sthSb lock sth upSb lock upVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Lock, stock, and barrel”
- “Lock up (one's) emotions”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to making assets inaccessible or to a post-IPO period where shares cannot be sold.
Academic
Used in legal/criminological contexts discussing incarceration rates.
Everyday
Routine action of securing a home or vehicle.
Technical
In engineering, to engage a mechanism to prevent movement.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Don't forget to lock up the shop before you leave.
- The judge decided to lock him up for the crime.
American English
- Make sure you lock up the house when you go out.
- They threatened to lock him up without bail.
adjective
British English
- He's subject to a six-month lock-up period on his shares.
- The suspect is in a lock-up cell.
American English
- The venture capital deal includes a standard two-year lockup provision.
- They kept the van in a storage lockup.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I lock up my bicycle every day.
- Please lock up when you go to bed.
- The manager was the last to leave and had to lock up the office.
- The police locked up the thief.
- Investors cannot sell their shares during the lock-up period after the IPO.
- He was advised to lock up his emotions during the difficult negotiation.
- The controversial policy is seen as a way to lock up capital that could otherwise stimulate the economy.
- Her traumatic experiences caused her to lock up her feelings, making intimacy difficult.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LOCK on a prison cell door, stopping someone from coming UP and out.
Conceptual Metaphor
RESTRAINT IS CONTAINMENT / SECURITY IS ENCLOSURE
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'lock' (замок) alone; 'up' adds the meaning of completion or thoroughness (наглухо).
- Not directly equivalent to 'блокировать' (to block) in most contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect separable pronoun placement: 'Lock up it' instead of 'Lock it up'.
- Using 'lock up' for software/hardware 'freezing' (correct: 'lock up' can be used informally for a computer crash).
Practice
Quiz
In a financial context, what does 'lock up' typically refer to?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can say 'Lock up the house' or 'Lock the house up.' With pronouns, you must separate: 'Lock it up.'
It is often hyphenated: 'lock-up.' It can mean a small jail, a storage unit, or a financial restriction period.
Yes, commonly for emotions ('lock up your feelings') and for money/assets becoming illiquid ('My savings are locked up in the property').
'Lock' is the general action. 'Lock up' implies a thorough, final securing of all points of entry, or a complete confinement. It's more comprehensive.