English Reference

Word

yup

Phoneticsyup

US/ˈjəp/

UK/jˈʌp/

Definitions

01yes

A2

interj. a casual way to say yes.

interj. an informal affirmative response used in spoken or casual written English.

“"Are you coming to the party tonight?" "Yup, I'll be there around eight."”

“When asked if he had finished the report, he simply replied with a casual "yup" before returning to his coffee.”

Informal

Usage

Commonly used in text messages and relaxed conversation; less formal than 'yeah'.

Pitfall

I said yup to my boss during the interview.

I said yes to my boss during the interview.

'Yup' is very informal; use 'yes' in professional or serious situations.

Synonyms

Antonyms

02an affirmative answer

B2

n. the word 'yes' used as a noun.

n. the act of saying 'yup' or an instance of an informal affirmative reply.

“I was hoping for a yup, but she just shook her head.”

“The negotiator was looking for a definitive yup from the other side, but the response remained frustratingly vague.”

Informal

Synonyms

03a young professional

C1

n. a short way to say 'yuppie' — a young person with a good job who lives in a city.

n. a clipping of 'yuppie', referring to a young urban professional with an affluent lifestyle.

“The neighborhood has changed and is now full of yups and expensive cafes.”

“The marketing campaign was specifically designed to appeal to the yups moving into the newly gentrified downtown lofts.”

Informal · Slang

Teaching tip

This sense is less common than the interjection and can sometimes be used in a slightly negative or mocking way.

Synonyms

yuppie

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/yup

English Reference