sit-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈsit-ˌəp 

: a conditioning exercise performed from a supine position by raising the torso to a sitting position and returning to the original position without using the arms or lifting the feet

sit up

2 of 2

verb

sat up; sitting up; sits up

intransitive verb

1

a

: to rise from a lying to a sitting position

b

: to sit with the back erect

2

: to show interest, alertness, or surprise

sit up and take notice

3

: to stay up after the usual time for going to bed

Examples of sit-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The nurse held down a button that made the bed hum and slowly perform a kind of sit-up. —Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024

Limit sit-ups, leg lifts, and stomach crunches, which can worsen reflux. Stop smoking. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 29 July 2024

Verb

Scant Research Our research group sat up and took note when British researchers published a study in 2023 that explored some key characteristics of fetching in cats. —Judith Stella, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024

But Donald Trump has been making one promise to his rally audiences that should make the parents of school-age children sit up and take notice. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined above

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

sit-up

noun

ˈsit-ˌəp

: an exercise done by lying on the back and rising up to a sitting position by bending forward at the waist without lifting the feet and returning to the original position