turn up
B1Informal (arrival meaning); Neutral (volume/increase meaning).
Definition
Meaning
to arrive or appear (often unexpectedly or after being absent).
to increase the intensity, volume, or level of something (e.g., sound, heat). To be found, especially by chance, after being lost. To shorten a garment by folding and sewing the hem.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Phrasal verb with transitive and intransitive uses. The 'arrive' meaning often implies lateness, casualness, or an unplanned appearance. The 'increase' meaning is literal for controls (volume, heat) and metaphorical for other nouns (pressure, effort).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The 'arrive' meaning is slightly more informal and common in UK speech. The 'shorten a garment' sense is primarily UK (US: 'hem up' or 'take up').
Connotations
In both, 'turn up' for arrival can have a negative connotation of unreliability ('He finally turned up an hour late').
Frequency
Both core meanings are frequent in both varieties. The 'be found' sense ('The keys turned up in the sofa') is equally common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + turn up (intransitive)[Subject] + turn up + [Object] (transitive)[Subject] + turn up + [Adverbial] (e.g., at the party)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “turn up like a bad penny”
- “turn up trumps (UK)”
- “turn up the heat (on someone)”
- “turn up one's nose (at something)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"We need to turn up our marketing efforts this quarter." (increase effort)
Academic
The manuscript turned up in a private collection after decades. (was found)
Everyday
"Can you turn up the TV? I can't hear it." (increase volume)
Technical
The detector is calibrated to turn up even the faintest signal. (discover/amplify)
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She didn't turn up to her own birthday dinner.
- I'll need to turn up these trousers; they're too long.
American English
- He turned up two hours after the party started.
- Turn up the AC; it's getting warm in here.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My friend turned up at my house.
- Please turn up the music.
- Half the guests didn't turn up to the meeting.
- Can you turn up the heating? It's cold.
- The investigation turned up some surprising new evidence.
- He always turns up when you least expect him.
- Despite the pressure being turned up by the media, the minister refused to resign.
- The missing document finally turned up in a forgotten archive.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a missing person on a poster. The wind TURNs the poster UP, revealing their face – they have TURNED UP (appeared).
Conceptual Metaphor
VISIBILITY/PRESENCE IS UP (to turn up = to become 'up'/visible). INTENSITY IS UP (to turn up the heat = to make intensity 'up').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводите 'turn up' (arrive) как 'поворачивать вверх'. Используйте 'появляться', 'приходить'.
- В значении 'увеличить громкость' — это 'сделать громче', а не 'крутить'.
Common Mistakes
- *I turned up him at the party. (Correct: I ran into him at the party / He turned up at the party.) Transitive use requires a thing (volume, heat), not a person for the 'arrive' meaning.
- Confusing 'turn up' (arrive) with 'turn out' (result, attend).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'turn up' used to mean 'shorten a garment'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the meaning. 'Turn up' meaning 'arrive' is informal. 'Turn up' meaning 'increase volume' or 'be found' is neutral and acceptable in most contexts.
Yes, but only intransitively (e.g., 'He turned up'). You cannot 'turn up someone' (transitive). For finding people, you 'look someone up' or 'track someone down'.
They are largely synonymous for 'arrive'. 'Show up' can sometimes imply exposing someone's faults ('He showed me up'), which 'turn up' does not.
Regularly: 'turned up'. 'He turned up late. She turned up the volume.'