booked up

booked up — adjective

1. if a hotel, restaurant, concert, or flight is booked up, all its rooms, tables,

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

if a hotel, restaurant, concert, or flight is booked up, all its rooms, tables, tickets, or seats have been reserved and none remain available for other people

Example

The hotel was completely booked up for the wedding weekend.

completely / fully + booked up

Lucía tried to buy concert tickets, but the show was booked up.

booked up referring to events/performances

Common collocations
  • completely booked up
  • fully booked up
  • booked up for
  • already booked up
Synonyms
  • fully booked

    slightly more formal, interchangeable in most contexts

  • sold out

    used for tickets and performances; feels more final

  • full

    shorter, less specific; a full hotel might still have cancellations

Antonyms
  • available

    describes rooms or seats that can still be reserved

  • free

    used for tables, seats, or time slots that have not been taken

Grammar Patterns

be booked up

Usage Note

Only used predicatively after a form of 'be'. Cannot appear before a noun (*a booked-up hotel). For attributive use, say 'a fully booked hotel' instead.

Common Mistakes

We found a booked-up hotel near the station.
We found a hotel near the station that was completely booked up.
'booked up' is predicative only and cannot be placed before a noun.

2. when a person says they are booked up, they already have plans for every hour of

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

when a person says they are booked up, they already have plans for every hour of the day and cannot take on any extra work or social commitments

Example

The dentist is booked up until next Tuesday.

booked up until [date/time]

Reuben is completely booked up this week with back-to-back meetings.

booked up with [commitments]

Common collocations
  • booked up until
  • booked up with
  • completely booked up
  • booked up all [day/week/weekend]
Synonyms
  • busy

    broader and more neutral; less emphatic than 'booked up'

  • tied up

    equally informal but suggests being unavailable for a short period

  • occupied

    slightly more formal; can sound distant in conversation

Antonyms
  • free

    having no plans or commitments

  • available

    able to take on work or meet someone

Grammar Patterns

be booked up

be booked up with [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Commonly followed by 'with' + noun phrase to specify what fills the time (e.g. 'booked up with meetings'). The 'until' + time/date pattern specifies how long the busy period lasts.

Common Mistakes

I am booked up to help you tomorrow.
I am booked up tomorrow, so I cannot help you.
'booked up' does not take an infinitive; state the time constraint separately.