liftup

Lift up is a phrasal verb in English with several related senses. It commonly means to raise something to a higher position, but it can also refer to elevating mood, spirit, or condition, and to morally or socially uplifting someone or a group. In religious and liturgical contexts, phrases such as “lift up your hearts” use the sense of directing attention upward or toward a higher purpose. The term can also describe improvements or increases in non-physical areas, for example lifting up a community through aid or advocacy.

Usage and grammar. Lift up is typically transitive, as in “lift up the box” or “lift up the child onto the chair.” It is a separable phrasal verb, so you can say “lift the box up” or, with a pronoun, “lift it up,” rather than “lift up it.” The verb can be used without an object to mean raising one’s own body or features, such as “she lifted up and looked around.” In contrast to more formal or technical terms like uplift, lift up is common in everyday language and carries both physical and figurative meanings.

Relationship to uplift. Uplift is a related noun and verb form used more often in technical, formal, or abstract contexts (for example, geological uplift or social uplift) and can carry a slightly different or broader tone. Lift up remains the everyday counterpart that emphasizes action and immediate elevation.

Etymology. The verb lift derives from Old English lyftan, with up coming from the adverbial element upp/ up; together they form a versatile English phrasal verb. See also: raise, elevate, uplift.