Definition

1. Verb (intransitive, phrasal verb):
   • To cohabit or live together, typically referring to two people who are in a romantic or sexual relationship but are not married to each other. It often implies a temporary or informal living arrangement.

Usage

• The phrasal verb "shack up" is informal and often considered slang. It is used to describe the act of moving in together or living together as a couple without being married.
• It is typically used in the structure: shack up (with someone) or shack up (somewhere).

Examples

• Verb:
  • After dating for only a month, they decided to shack up in his apartment.
  • He's shacking up with his girlfriend downtown.
  • They lost their lease and had to shack up with friends for a few weeks.

Advanced Usage

• "to shack up together": An emphatic form meaning to cohabit.
  • When they lost their jobs, they had no choice but to shack up together to save money.
• The term can sometimes carry a slightly judgmental or disapproving connotation, depending on the context and speaker.

Variants and Related Words

• Shack (noun): A small, crudely built hut or cabin. The phrasal verb "shack up" is derived from this noun, metaphorically suggesting a simple or temporary dwelling.
• Cohabit (verb): A more formal, neutral synonym meaning to live together and have a sexual relationship without being married.

Synonyms

• Live together: A neutral phrase for cohabiting.
• Cohabit: The standard formal term.
• Move in together: A common, informal phrase focusing on the action.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Move in (with): To begin living in a new residence, often with someone.
  • He moved in with his partner last spring. (This is more neutral than "shack up.")

Idioms

• Shack up itself functions as an idiomatic phrasal verb. There are no common additional idioms that use this exact phrase.

Verb

1. share living quarters; usually said of people who are not married and live together as a couple