suck it up
To put up with something; to deal with something, such as pain or misfortune, without complaining.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The work is boring, but you just have to suck it up.”
“The rain is heavy, but the players suck it up and continue the game.”
“You hate cleaning the bathroom, but you just need to suck it up.”
“I know you are tired after the long flight, but we have to suck it up and finish the presentation today.”
“If we want to save enough money for a new house, we must suck it up and stop eating at expensive restaurants every weekend.”
“My new manager is very strict and gives too much feedback, but I will suck it up until I find a better job.”
“Despite the grueling conditions and the exhaustion weighing upon his limbs, he decided to suck it up and complete the final leg of the journey.”
disputed origin
Probably a variation of the expression suck up your chest, the phrase suggests a physical instruction to compose oneself and stand tall despite difficulty. It carries the sense of bearing one's troubles and proceeding, though the exact transition from the anatomical command to the modern idiom remains unproven.
- 01
suck a big one
To be terrible; to be of a very low standard.
- 02
suck a lemon
To be in a sour or negative mood.
- 03
suck and blow
To perform two incompatible actions; to hold views which are in contradiction.
- 04
suck donkey balls
To be terrible, of extremely poor quality.
- 05
suck down
To drink (or, more rarely, eat) all of something quickly.
- 06
suck dry
To exhaust all the resources of someone or something.
- 07
suck face
To kiss, especially deeply and for a prolonged time.
- 08
suck hind tit
To feed from an inferior source of food.
Last updated August 10, 2026