put-up
/'put'ʌp/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: - Planned secretly or dishonestly: Describes something, especially a scheme or situation, that has been arranged in advance through deception or conspiracy. It implies a hidden agenda or a setup designed to achieve a particular, often unfair, outcome.
Examples of Usage
- Adjective:
- The whole thing was a put-up job to make him look guilty. (The entire situation was secretly arranged to create the appearance of his guilt.)
- The witness testimony seemed suspiciously like a put-up story. (The witness's account seemed like it had been fabricated or planned in advance.)
Advanced Usage
- "A put-up affair/job": This is the most common and idiomatic collocation. It specifically refers to a situation, event, or piece of work that is the result of secret planning or fraud.
- The robbery was a put-up job involving an inside man. (The robbery was secretly planned with the help of someone on the inside.)
Variants and Related Words
- Put up (Phrasal Verb): This is a separate and much more common phrasal verb with multiple meanings (e.g., to erect, to tolerate, to provide lodging). It is not an adjective.
- They decided to put up a new fence. (They decided to erect a new fence.)
- I can't put up with this noise anymore. (I can no longer tolerate this noise.)
Synonyms
- Prearranged: Arranged or agreed upon in advance.
- Fabricated: Invented or concocted, typically with deceitful intent.
- Rigged: Dishonestly arranged for a specific result.
Related Idioms
- "A put-up job": As detailed above, this is the standard idiom. It functions as a noun phrase where "put-up" is the adjectival component describing the "job."
- The election was widely believed to be a put-up job. (The election was widely believed to have been dishonestly prearranged.)
Adjective
- planned secretly
- it was a put-up job