add up
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (intransitive):
- To make sense; to be logical or reasonable: When facts or an explanation "add up," they form a coherent and believable whole.
- To accumulate to a total: When separate amounts "add up," they combine to form a final sum or quantity.
- To amount to something significant: When smaller parts or efforts "add up," they result in a meaningful or substantial outcome.
Verb (transitive):
- To calculate the total of; to sum: To combine several numbers or quantities to find their total.
Usage Examples
Verb (intransitive - to make sense):
- Her story just doesn't add up; the timeline is impossible.
- When you add up all the evidence, the conclusion is clear.
Verb (intransitive - to accumulate):
- These small expenses add up quickly.
- The hours I spent on the project add up to more than a week.
Verb (intransitive - to amount to):
- All his hard work didn't add up to much in the end.
- Their promises never add up to anything concrete.
Verb (transitive - to calculate the total):
- Can you add up these numbers for me?
- She added up the bill to check it was correct.
Advanced Usage
- "It all adds up": A common phrase meaning everything is consistent and logical, leading to a single, clear conclusion.
- He was seen near the scene, he had a motive, and he lied to the police. It all adds up.
Variants and Related Words
- Add (v): The base verb meaning to combine or join something to something else.
- Addition (n): The process of adding or something that is added.
- Additive (n/adj): A substance added to something; characterized by addition.
Synonyms
- Make sense, be consistent, hold water (for the "be logical" meaning).
- Total, sum, amount to, come to (for the "accumulate" meaning).
- Calculate, compute, tally, total (for the "calculate the total" meaning).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Add on: To include an extra item or charge.
- They added on a service fee to the final bill.
- Add in: To include something as part of a calculation or mixture.
- Don't forget to add in the cost of shipping.
Related Idioms
- Add fuel to the fire: To make a bad situation worse.
- Criticizing him now will only add fuel to the fire.
- Add insult to injury: To make a bad or disappointing situation even worse.
- After losing the match, to add insult to injury, their bus broke down on the way home.
Verb
- be reasonable or logical or comprehensible
- add up in number or quantity
- The bills amounted to $2,000
- The bill came to $2,000
- determine the sum of
- Add all the people in this town to those of the neighboring town
- develop into
- This idea will never amount to anything
- nothing came of his grandiose plans