buck up
Definition
- Verb (phrasal verb):
- To become more cheerful, encouraged, or energetic; to improve one's mood or spirits: "buck up" means to make oneself or someone else feel more positive, confident, or lively, especially after feeling down or discouraged.
- To hurry up; to move or act more quickly: In some contexts, it can be an imperative urging someone to act with more speed or urgency.
Usage Examples
- Verb (phrasal verb):
- She was feeling sad, but her friend's kind words helped her buck up. (She became more cheerful after her friend's encouragement.)
- The coach told the team to buck up and focus on the next play. (The coach told the team to become more positive and concentrate.)
- Buck up! We don't have all day. (Hurry up! We are short on time.)
Advanced Usage
- "to buck someone up": to encourage or cheer someone else.
- A good cup of coffee in the morning always bucks me up. (It always makes me feel more energetic.)
- He tried to buck up his colleague after the failed presentation. (He tried to make his colleague feel better.)
Variants and Related Words
- Buck (verb, unrelated meaning): (of a horse) to jump vertically with the back arched.
- Bucking (present participle): The act of bucking.
Synonyms
- Cheer up: to become happier.
- Perk up: to become more lively or alert.
- Take heart: to gain courage or confidence.
- Hurry up: to increase speed (for the imperative usage).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Buck against (something): to resist or oppose something stubbornly.
- He always bucks against authority. (He always resists authority figures.)
- Buck for (something): to strive for a promotion or advantage, often in an obvious way.
- She's clearly bucking for a management position. (She is obviously trying to get promoted.)
Related Idioms
- Buck the trend: to go against a general pattern or tendency.
- Their company bucked the trend and increased profits during the recession. (Their company succeeded contrary to the general economic situation.)
- Pass the buck: to shift responsibility or blame to someone else.
- Don't pass the buck; take responsibility for your mistake. (Don't blame others.)
Verb
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gain courage
