sit-up
sit-up — noun
1. a physical exercise where you lie on your back with bent knees and raise your up
a physical exercise where you lie on your back with bent knees and raise your upper body toward your knees, used to make the muscles in your stomach area stronger
After just two weeks of daily sit-ups, Aisha noticed her stomach felt firmer.
collocation: daily sit-ups
The coach asked the team to do three sets of twenty sit-ups during practice.
collocation: do + [number] + sit-ups
Doing sit-ups on a hard floor can hurt your back if you do not use a soft mat.
Kenji added thirty sit-ups to his morning routine to build stronger stomach muscles.
文法句型
do + sit-up(s)
a set of sit-ups
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form (sit-ups) even when referring to the activity in general, as in 'I do sit-ups every morning.'
常見錯誤
sit-up — phrasal verb
- sit-upbase form
- sit-ups3rd person singular
- sit-upping-ing form
- sit-uppedpast simple
sit-up — verb
- sit-uppresent simple I / you / we / they
- sit-ups3rd person singular
- sit-upping-ing form
- sit-uppedpast simple
1. to lift your upper body from a flat, lying position into an upright sitting posi
to lift your upper body from a flat, lying position into an upright sitting position, using your own strength
Dmitri strained his stomach muscles as he sat up from the examination table.
sit up + from + [place]
The alarm went off at six, and Sofia sat up with a groan, rubbing her eyes.
Yuki sat up from the yoga mat slowly, keeping her back straight and her breathing steady.
Amir sat up from his hospital bed, using only his core muscles and not his hands for support.
- rise
more formal; can mean standing up rather than just sitting up.
- straighten up
emphasizes correcting posture rather than the motion of rising.
- lie down
the opposite action of moving from upright to flat.
文法句型
sit up + from + [place]
sit up + adverb (slowly, carefully, immediately)
用法筆記
Distinguish from the phrasal verb sense 'SIT UP STRAIGHT' (phrasal verb/1): verb/1 focuses specifically on the physical motion of raising the body from a flat position, whereas phrasal verb/1 can also apply to straightening up from a leaning position without having been fully lying down.
常見錯誤
2. to sit with your back straight and shoulders back rather than slouching or leani
to sit with your back straight and shoulders back rather than slouching or leaning back
The piano teacher told her young student to sit up with his shoulders back.
tell someone to sit up (posture instruction)
Aisha sat up straight when her mother walked into the room during dinner.
collocation: sit up straight
Good posture means you sit up without curving your spine or hunching forward.
At the formal banquet, everyone sat up with their hands neatly placed in their laps.
- straighten up
can also mean improving one's posture, whether sitting or standing.
- sit tall
less common; used in yoga and posture contexts.
- slouch
to sit with a rounded back and relaxed posture.
文法句型
sit up + straight
tell someone to sit up
用法筆記
Frequently used as a command or instruction: 'Sit up straight!' — often directed at children or students to correct their posture.
常見錯誤
3. to react to something unexpected or interesting by suddenly becoming more alert,
to react to something unexpected or interesting by suddenly becoming more alert, often with a visible change in posture
The class sat up in surprise when the principal announced an unscheduled holiday.
sit up + in + [emotion noun]
Elena sat up with wide eyes when she saw her own photo on the front page of the newspaper.
The bored teenagers sat up in amazement when the band played their most popular song.
The investors sat up and took notice when the company revealed its record-breaking profits.
- perk up
more informal; suggests becoming more lively or energetic.
- take notice
focuses on the mental attention rather than the physical reaction.
文法句型
sit up + in/with + [emotion]
make someone sit up
用法筆記
Distinguish from phrasal verb sense 'BECOME ALERT' (phrasal verb/3): verb/3 emphasizes a visible, physical reaction to something surprising, while phrasal verb/3 focuses more on the mental shift in attention.