# feel up to

CEFR B1 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/feel-up-to
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to have the energy or health to do something. You use this when you are deciding if you are strong enough or well enough for an activity.

For teachers: to have the necessary physical or mental energy to perform a specific task; often used in the negative or interrogative to discuss health or motivation.

## Examples

- I don't feel up to going to the gym today.
- After the long flight, she didn't feel up to attending the dinner party and went to bed instead.
- Although the patient claimed to feel up to a short walk, the nursing staff advised against any strenuous exertion until the following morning.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I don't feel up to go out." but "I don't feel up to going out." — the phrase requires a gerund (-ing) or a noun after the preposition 'to', not an infinitive.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
- Teaching tip: highlight that this is almost always used in negative sentences or questions to discuss physical or emotional capacity.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.