Phrasal verb
open up
Definition
phrasal verb. to start talking more about your personal feelings or secrets to someone else. You use this when you finally feel comfortable enough to share what you are thinking.
phrasal verb. to begin to speak more freely about one's thoughts, feelings, or personal history. This sense is typically intransitive, though it frequently licenses a prepositional complement using 'to' or 'about'.
Examples
“It took a long time for him to open up about his past.”
“After a few hours of hiking, Sarah finally started to open up about why she was feeling so stressed at work.”
“The therapist's empathetic approach encouraged the patient to open up, eventually revealing the deep-seated anxieties that had been hindering his professional progress for years.”
Examples
simple
“It took a long time for him to open up about his past.”
contextual
“After a few hours of hiking, Sarah finally started to open up about why she was feeling so stressed at work.”
complex
“The therapist's empathetic approach encouraged the patient to open up, eventually revealing the deep-seated anxieties that had been hindering his professional progress for years.”
Usage
usually used without a direct object or followed by 'to' and the person listening.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'bottle up' or 'clam up' to help students visualize the emotional movement of the phrase.
Pitfall
He opened up his feelings to me.
He opened up to me about his feelings.
in the emotional sense, the verb is typically intransitive and does not take the feelings themselves as a direct object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
open + up (+ to + object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/open-up