Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: BUSINESS BASICS

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old Norse
Origin: geta

get

 verb
     
get S1 W1 past tense got, past participle got British English, gotten American English present participle getting
1

receive

[transitive not in passive] to receive something that someone gives you or sends you:
She got loads of presents.
What did you get for Christmas?
We get a lot of junk mail.
get something from somebody
We got a letter from Pam this morning.
get something off somebody spoken informal:
I got it off my Dad.
I got a few games free when I bought my computer.
 ➔ see usage note gain1
2

obtain

[transitive] to obtain something by finding it, asking for it, or paying for it:
We need to get help quickly!
It would be a good idea to get professional advice.
You may be able to get a grant from the local authority.
He cleared his throat to get our attention.
get something for somebody
I want you to get some information for me.
get somebody something
His father managed to get him a job at the local factory.
3

bring

[transitive] to bring someone or something back from somewhere:
Run upstairs and get a pillow.
I went back into the office to get a pen.
Shall I go and get the phone book?
get somebody/something from something
She's just gone to get the kids from school.
get something for somebody
I'll get a towel for you.
get somebody something
I'll get you a chair.
➔ see usage note bring
4

buy

[transitive]
a) to buy something:
Where did you get that jacket?
get something for somebody
Joe's going to get tickets for all of us.
get somebody something
While you're out, could you get me some batteries?
get yourself something
He's just got himself a new van.
get something from something
I usually get vegetables from the supermarket.
get something for $20/£100/50p etc
You can get a decent PC for about £500 now.
It's a lovely coat, and I managed to get it cheap in the sales.
b) spoken to pay for something for someone else:
I'll get these drinks.
c) to buy a newspaper regularly:
My parents always used to get the Daily Telegraph.
5

money

[transitive]BB
a) to receive money for doing work:
Hospital doctors get a minimum of £50,000 a year.
get £2000/$4000 etc for doing something
He gets £4 an hour for stacking shelves.
b) to receive money when you sell something
get £100/$200 etc for something
You should get a couple of hundred pounds for your old car.
➔ see usage note gain1
6

have a feeling/idea

[transitive] to start to have a feeling or an idea:
She began to get an uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched.
I got a terrible shock when I saw how ill he looked.
I got the impression that everyone was fed up with us.
get pleasure from/out of something
She gets a lot of pleasure from her garden.
7

have/experience

[transitive] to have, do, or experience something:
You don't get enough exercise.
I never get time to read these days.
The west of the country gets quite a lot of rain.
We might get the chance to go to America this year.
8

illness

[transitive not in passive]MI to catch an illness:
I got flu last winter and was in bed for three weeks.
She was worried she might get food poisoning.
9

achieve

[transitive] to achieve something:
I got 98% in my last maths test.
the person who gets the highest score
10

receive a punishment

[transitive] to receive something as a punishment:
He got ten years in prison for his part in the robbery.
11

arrive

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to arrive somewhere:
What time will we get there?
We didn't get home until midnight.
get to
We got to Paris that evening.
12

reach a point

[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to reach a particular point or stage of something:
I've got as far as chapter 5.
I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book.
Where have you got up to in the story?
It was disappointing to lose, having got this far in the competition.
13

get (somebody) somewhere/anywhere/nowhere

if you get somewhere, or if an action gets you somewhere, you make progress:
I think we're getting somewhere at last.
We didn't seem to be getting anywhere.
I've tried arguing, but it got me nowhere.
14

move

[intransitive always +adverb/preposition] to move or go somewhere:
Get out of my house!
We managed to get past the guards.
They shouted at us to get back.
Peter got to his feet (=stood up).
15

make something move

[transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make something or someone move to a different place or position, especially with some difficulty:
I couldn't get the disk out of the computer.
Could you help me get the wardrobe up the stairs?
We must get food and emergency aid into the area as quickly as possible.
16TT

travel

[transitive] to travel somewhere on a train, bus etc:
You can get a bus to the station.
I got the 9:15 from London to Edinburgh.
17

become

[linking verb] to change to a new feeling, situation, or state [= become]:
Don't get upset.
She soon got bored with the job.
He calmed down as he got older.
Eat your dinner before it gets cold.
This is getting silly.
get to be something informal:
It's getting to be a problem.
➔ see usage note become
18

make somebody/something become something

[transitive] to make someone or something change to a new feeling, situation, or state:
Sometimes she gets me so angry!
Don't get the children too excited.
He was terrified of getting her pregnant.
It took them fifteen minutes to get the boat ready.
19

be hurt/broken etc

[linking verb, transitive] used to say that something, especially something bad, happens to someone or something
get hurt/broken/stolen etc
You might get hurt if you stand there.
Mind the camera doesn't get broken.
My dad got killed in a car crash.
I knew I would get shouted at if I was late home.
This is a question we very often get asked.
get something caught/stuck etc
She got her foot caught in the wire.
20

make something happen to somebody/something

[transitive]
a) to accidentally make someone or something experience something:
You're going to get us all killed!
Mind you don't get yourself burned.
b) to do something, or arrange for it to be done:
I need to get the washing machine fixed.
We must get this work finished on time.
21

make something do something

[transitive not in passive] to make something do a particular thing
get something to do something
I couldn't get the engine to start.
get something doing something
We got the lawn mower working again eventually.
22

make somebody do something

[transitive not in passive] to persuade or force someone to do something
get somebody to do something
I'll get Terry to check the wiring for me.
We couldn't get him to sign the agreement.
get somebody doing something
In the end, we got the children clearing the playground.
23

understand

[transitive not in passive or progressive] informal to understand something:
I don't think she got the joke.
I don't get it - it doesn't make sense.
get what/how/who etc
I still don't get how she knew about the meeting.
24

cook

[transitive not in passive] to prepare food or a meal:
She's just getting lunch.
get somebody something
Shall I get you a sandwich?
25

radio/television

[transitive not in passive or progressive]TCB to be able to receive a particular radio signal, television station etc:
Can you get satellite TV here?
26

answer the door/telephone

[transitive] informal to answer the door or telephone:
Can you get the phone?
27

catch somebody

[transitive] to catch someone:
The police got him in the end.
28

hurt/kill somebody

[transitive] informal to attack, hurt, or kill someone:
The other gang members threatened to get him if he went to the police.
I'll get you for this!
29

trick somebody

[transitive] informal to deceive or trick someone:
I got you that time!
30

on the telephone

[transitive] if you get someone on the telephone, they answer the telephone when you have made a call, and so you talk to them:
I tried phoning him at work, but I just got his secretary.
31

get doing something

to begin doing something:
We got talking about the old days.
I think we should get going quite soon.
What are we all waiting for? Let's get moving!
32

get to do something

informal to have the opportunity to do something:
We got to meet all the stars after the show.
She gets to travel all over the place with her job.
33

get to like/know/understand somebody/something

to gradually begin to like, know, or understand someone or something:
It'll take a while for you to get to know everyone.
After a while, I got to like him.
34 spoken

you get something

used to say that something happens or exists:
I didn't know you got tigers in Europe.
35 spoken

you've got me (there)

used to say you do not know the answer to something
36 spoken

it/what gets me

used to say that something really annoys you:
It really gets me the way he leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor.
What gets me is their attitude.
37 spoken

get this

especially American English used to draw attention to something surprising or interesting that you are about to mention:
And the whole thing only cost - get this - $12.95.

➔ have got

at have2

get about

phrasal verb
1 to go or travel to different places:
She's eighty now, and doesn't get about much any more.
He's got an old van which he uses for getting about.
2 if news or information gets about, it is told to a lot of people:
I don't really want this to get about.

get across

phrasal verb
to succeed in communicating an idea or piece of information to someone, or to be communicated successfully
get something ↔ across
It took him ages to get his point across.
We must get across the simple fact that drugs are dangerous.
The message isn't getting across.
get across to
It is important that we get this message across to voters.

get ahead

phrasal verb
to be successful and do better than other people in a job or work:
She soon found that it wasn't easy to get ahead in the movie business.

get along

phrasal verb
1 if two or more people get along, they have a friendly relationship:
We've always got along quite well.
get along with
They seem to get along with each other.
2 to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:
How's Sam getting along at university?
get along without
Don't worry, we'll get along without you.
3 spoken

I must/I'd better be getting along

used to say that it is time for you to leave, for example because you have something else to do

get around

phrasal verb
1

get around (something)

to go or travel to different places:
We had to use public transport to get around.
It's quite easy to get around London.
2 if news or information gets around, it is told to a lot of people:
News of the accident soon got around.
Word got around that the department might be closed.
3

get around something

to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:
I think we should be able to get around most of these problems.
She was always very clever at getting around the rules.

get around to something

phrasal verb
to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:
I meant to phone her yesterday, but I never got around to it.
get around to doing something
We finally got around to clearing out the garage.

get at somebody/something

phrasal verb
1

criticize

to keep criticizing someone in an unkind way:
Why is he always getting at me?
He felt he was being got at by the other students.
2

be getting at something

to be trying to say something in a way that is difficult for other people to understand:
What are you getting at, Helen?
Do you see the point I'm getting at?
3

reach

to be able to reach something:
We had to move the washing machine out to get at the wiring behind it.
4

information

to discover information, especially the truth about a situation:
I was determined to get at the truth.
5

threaten

informal to use threats to influence the decision of people who are involved in a court case:
Do you think some of the jury have been got at?

get away

phrasal verb
1

leave

to leave a place, especially when this is not easy:
The meeting dragged on, and I didn't get away until seven.
get away from
I like to get away from London at the weekend.
2

on holiday

informalDL to take a holiday away from the place you normally live:
Will you manage to get away this summer?
get away to
We're hoping to get away to Scotland for a few days.
3

escape

to escape from someone who is chasing you or trying to catch you:
The three men got away in a stolen car.
get away from
We knew it wouldn't be easy to get away from the police.
get away with
The thieves got away with jewellery worth over £50,000.
4

get away!

British English spoken used to say you are very surprised by something or do not believe it
5

the one that got away

something good that you nearly had or that nearly happened

get away from somebody/something

phrasal verb
1 to avoid something that is difficult or unpleasant for you, or something that limits what you can do in some way:
I needed to get away from the pressures of work.
She wanted to get away from the traditional ideas of what theatre is about.
There is no getting away from this fact (=you cannot avoid or deny this fact).
2 to begin to talk about other things rather than the subject you are supposed to be discussing:
I think we're getting away from the main issue.
3

get away from it all

to have a relaxing holiday:
You need to get away from it all for a couple of weeks.

get away with something

phrasal verb
1 to not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong:
Watch Frank - he'll cheat if he thinks he can get away with it.
No one insults my family and gets away with it!
2

get away with murder

informal to not be punished for doing something wrong:
Some of those children get away with murder!
3 to receive only a small punishment for something:
The charge was reduced to manslaughter, and she got away with three years in prison.
4 to do something without experiencing any problems or difficulties, even though it is not the best thing to do:
At school he had always got away with doing the bare minimum amount of work.
The colour's not quite right, but I think you'll get away with it.

get back

phrasal verb
1

return

to return to a place:
I'll talk to you when I get back.
get back to
He got back to the office just before lunchtime.
2

do something again

to start doing something again or talking about something again
get back to
Let's get back to the main point of the discussion.
Well, I must get back to work.
get back into
Have you ever thought about getting back into teaching?
3

be in state again

to change to a previous state or condition again
get back to
Life was beginning to get back to normal.
get back together
Do you think they'll get back together (=start having a relationship again)?
4

get something again

get something ↔ back

to get something again after you have lost it or someone else has taken it:
Did you get your books back?
5

punish somebody

get somebody back

informal to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you
get somebody back for
I'll get you back for this!

get back at somebody

phrasal verb
to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you:
He'll probably go out with her just to get back at me.

get back to somebody

phrasal verb
to talk to someone or telephone them later in order to answer a question or give them information:
I'll find out the prices and get back to you.

get behind

phrasal verb
1 if you get behind with a job, payments, rent etc, you do not do or pay as much of it as you should have by a particular time
get behind with
I don't want to get behind with my work.
You can always catch up later if you get behind.
2

get behind somebody

informal to support someone:
The crowd really got behind them and cheered them on.

get by

phrasal verb
to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more:
I don't earn a huge salary, but we get by.
get by on
Sometimes they had to get by on very little.

get down

phrasal verb
1

make somebody sad

get somebody down

to make someone feel unhappy and tired:
His lack of social life was beginning to get him down.
2

write something down

get something ↔ down

to write something, especially something that someone is saying:
He was followed by a group of reporters trying to get down every word he said.
It's important to get things down on paper.
3

eat/drink

get something down (somebody)

to eat or drink something, or persuade someone else to eat or drink something:
I knew I'd feel better once I'd got some food down.
Get that tea down you.
He still says he's not hungry, and I can't get anything down him.
4

after a meal

British EnglishDF to leave the table after a meal - used by children or when you are talking to children:
Please may I get down?

get down to something

phrasal verb
to start doing something that is difficult or needs a lot of time or energy:
It's time we got down to work.
We need to get down to some serious talking.
get down to doing something
I always find it hard to get down to revising.

get in

phrasal verb
1

enter

to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:
We managed to get in through a window.
The theatre was already full, and we couldn't get in.
2

arrive

if a train, plane etc gets in at a particular time, it arrives at that time:
What time does the bus get in?
get in to
We get in to Heathrow at ten o'clock.
3

get home

to arrive home:
We didn't get in until late.
What time do the boys get in from school?
4PP

be elected

to be elected to a position of political power:
The Conservatives have promised to increase spending on health and education if they get in.
5

college/university

to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:
I applied to Bristol University, but I didn't get in.
6

buy a supply

get something ↔ in

to buy a supply of something:
I must remember to get some food in for the weekend.
7

crops

get something ↔ in

TADF to gather a crop and bring it to a sheltered place:
The whole village was involved with getting the harvest in.
8

ask for worker

get somebody ↔ in

to ask someone to come to your home to do a job, especially to repair something:
We'll have to get a plumber in.
9

give something to somebody

get something in

to send something to a particular place or give it to a particular person:
Please can you get your essays in by Thursday.
It's best to get your insurance claim in as quickly as possible.
10

do something

get something ↔ in

to manage to do something even though you do not have much time:
We're hoping to get in a game of golf over the weekend.

get in on something

phrasal verb
to become involved in something that other people are doing or planning:
Quite a few companies would like to get in on the project.
The scheme has proved very successful, and now other local authorities are keen to get in on the act (=become involved in something exciting or interesting).

get in with somebody

phrasal verb
to become friendly with someone:
He got in with a bad crowd and started getting into trouble.

get into something

1

enter

to enter a place, especially when this is difficult:
The door was locked and we couldn't get into the house.
2

arrive

to arrive at a place:
What time do we get into New York?
3

be elected

to be elected to a parliament:
He first got into parliament in 1982.
4

college/university

to be allowed to be a student at a university, college etc:
She got into UCLA.
5

team

to be made a member of a team:
Do you think you might get into the Olympic team this year?
6

start doing something

to start doing or feeling something, or being in a particular situation:
He's started getting into trouble at school.
My parents were always terrified of getting into debt.
She got into the habit of going for long walks by herself.
He got into a terrible temper and started throwing things around.
7

become involved

to begin to be involved in doing something:
How did you first get into script writing?
She was starting to get into politics.
8

enjoy

informal to begin to enjoy something or be interested in it:
I first got into jazz when I was at college.
9

clothing

informal to put on a piece of clothing, especially when this is difficult because the piece of clothing is too small for you:
I don't know how she managed to get into those trousers.
10

what's got into somebody?

spoken used to express surprise that someone is behaving very differently from the way they usually behave:
I don't know what's got into Sally recently.

get off

phrasal verb
1

leave

to leave a place, or to help someone to leave a place:
We'll try and get off straight after lunch.
get off something
Get off my land!
get somebody off
I'll phone you as soon as I've got the children off to school.
2

finish work

get off (something)

to finish work and leave the place where you work at the end of the day:
I usually get off at six o'clock.
What time do you get off work?
3

send something

get something off

TCM to send a letter or package by post:
I'll have to get this letter off by tonight.
get something off to
I'll get the forms off to you today.
4

clothing

get something off

to remove a piece of clothing:
Why don't you get those wet clothes off?
5SC

not be punished

if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive only a small punishment:
In the end he got off because there wasn't enough evidence against him.
The police felt he had got off very lightly.
get off with
If you're lucky, you'll get off with a fine.
6

help somebody not be punished

get somebody off

to help someone avoid being punished for a crime:
Her lawyers were confident that they could get her off.
7

sleep

get (somebody) off

to go to sleep, or to help a child go to sleep:
I went to bed but couldn't get off to sleep.
It took us ages to get the baby off.
8

get off to a good/bad etc start

to start in a particular way:
The day had got off to a bad start.
9

stop talking about something

get off something

to stop talking about a subject:
Can we get off the subject of death, please?
10

stop touching something

get off (something/somebody)

informal used to tell someone to stop touching something or someone:
Get off me!
Get off those cakes, or there'll be trouble.
Get off (=stop touching me)!
11

tell somebody where to get off

informal to tell someone that they are asking you for too much or are behaving in a way you will not accept:
He wanted £50, but I told him where to get off.
12

get off your butt/ass

American English spoken not polite used to tell someone that they should stop being lazy and start doing something useful

get off on something

phrasal verb
to become excited by something, especially sexually excited

get off with somebody

phrasal verb
to start a sexual relationship with someone:
She spent the whole evening trying to get off with Phil.

get on

phrasal verb
1

like somebody

especially British English if people get on, they like each other and have a friendly relationship with each other
get on with
I've always got on well with Henry.
The two boys get on well most of the time.
2

progress

to deal with a job or situation or to make progress:
How is George getting on at school?
get on with
How are you getting on with your essay?
get on without
I don't know how we'll get on without Michael.
3

continue doing something

to continue doing something
get on with
Be quiet and get on with your work!
4

be successful

to be successful in your job:
You'll have to work hard if you want to get on.
5

clothing

get something on

to put a piece of clothing on:
I can't get my boots on!
6

be getting on

a) if time is getting on, it is quite late:
Come on, it's getting on and we ought to go home.
I realized that time was getting on and we would have to hurry.
b) informal if someone is getting on, they are quite old
7

getting on for 90/10 o'clock/2000 etc

almost a particular age, time, number etc:
Mrs McIntyre must be getting on for 90 by now.
The total cost was getting on for $100,000.
8

get it on

American English informal to have sex
9

get on with it!

spoken used to tell someone to hurry:
Will you lot stop messing around and get on with it!
10

let somebody get on with it

informal to let someone do something on their own, and not help them or tell them what to do:
She wanted to decorate her room, so I just let her get on with it.

get onto somebody/something

phrasal verb
1TC

speak/write to somebody

informal to speak or write to someone:
I'll get onto my lawyer about this.
2

learn about somebody

informal to find out about someone who has been doing something wrong:
How did the police get onto him?
3

be elected

to be elected as a member of a committee, a political organization etc:
She was quite keen to get onto the management committee.
4

talk about something

to begin to talk about a subject after you have been discussing something else:
After a few minutes they got onto the subject of the election.
5

do something

informal to start dealing with something:
Right, I'll get onto it straight away.

get out

phrasal verb
1

leave

to leave a room or building:
You ought to get out into the fresh air.
Mary screamed at me to get out.
get out of
Get out of the kitchen!
2

escape

to escape from a place:
Some of the animals had got out.
get out of
He was determined to get out of prison.
3

help somebody escape

get somebody out

to help someone leave a place or escape from a place:
It's important to get these people out as soon as possible.
get somebody out of
We knew it was going to be difficult to get him out of the country.
4

take something from a place

get something ↔ out

to take something from the place where it is kept:
She got out her violin and started to play.
5

information

if information gets out, a lot of people then know it although it is meant to be secret:
We have to make absolutely certain that none of this gets out.
It's bound to get out that he's retiring soon.
6

produce something

get something ↔ out

TCN to produce a book or other product that can be sold to people:
We're hoping to get the new catalogue out next week.
7

say something

get something ↔ out

to succeed in saying something, especially when this is very difficult:
I wanted to tell him I loved him, but couldn't get the words out.

get out of something

phrasal verb
1

avoid doing something

to avoid doing something you have promised to do or are supposed to do:
See if you can get out of that meeting tomorrow.
get out of doing something
He's trying to get out of tidying his room.
2

stop doing something

to stop doing something or being involved in something:
I wanted to get out of teaching.
3

make somebody give/tell you something

get something out of somebody

to force or persuade someone to tell you something or give you something:
I was determined to get the truth out of her.
4

enjoy something

get something out of something

to enjoy something you do or experience, or to learn something as a result:
I hope he got something out of his visit.
get something out of doing something
Children can get a lot out of being involved in community projects.

get over

1

illness

get over something

to become well again after an illness:
It's taken me ages to get over the flu.
2

unpleasant experience

get over something

to begin to feel better after a very upsetting experience:
She never got over the death of her son.
3

ideas/information

get something ↔ over

to succeed in communicating ideas or information to other people
get something ↔ over to
It's important that we get this message over to young people.
4

finish something

get something over

also get something over with to do and finish something difficult that you have to do:
I'll be in touch once I've got my exams over.
I can't wait to get the interview over with.
5

problem/difficulty

get over something

to successfully deal with a problem or difficulty:
I don't know how we're going to get over this problem.
Once we've got over the first few months, we should be making a reasonable profit.
6

can't/couldn't get over something

spoken used to say that you are very surprised, shocked, or amused by something:
I can't get over how well you look.

get round

phrasal verb
1 if news or information gets round, it is told to a lot of people:
News like this soon gets round.
2

get round something

to avoid something that is difficult or causes problems for you:
Most companies manage to get round the restrictions.
3

get round somebody

to gently persuade someone to do what you want by being nice to them:
I know how to get round Chris.

get round to something

phrasal verb
to do something that you have been intending to do for some time:
I keep meaning to put a lock on it, but I never get round to it.
get round to doing something
I haven't got round to unpacking from my holiday yet.

get through

phrasal verb
1

do work

get through something

to do an amount of work:
We got through half the application forms this morning.
We've got a lot of work to get through.
2

use something

get through something

informal to use a lot of something:
You wouldn't believe the amount of food children can get through in a week!
3

spend money

get through something

informal to spend a lot of money:
He can get through £100 in one evening.
4

difficult time

get (somebody) through something

to come successfully to the end of an unpleasant experience or period of time, or to help someone do this:
I don't know how we're going to get through the winter.
It was their love that got me through those first difficult months.
5

test/competition

get (somebody/something) through (something)

to be successful in a test or competition, or to make sure that someone or something is successful:
I finally managed to get through my driving test.
I knew it was going to be difficult to get the car through its MOT test.
get (somebody/something) through (something) to
Liverpool have got through to the final of the FA Cup.
6

reach a person/place

to reach a place or person that is difficult to reach
get through to
Aid agencies have been unable to get through to the thousands of refugees stranded on the border.
7

by telephone

to succeed in speaking to someone on the telephone:
I tried phoning her office, but I couldn't get through.
get through to
At last I managed to get through to one of the managers.
8

new law

SCL

get (something) through (something)

if a new law gets through parliament, or if someone gets it through, it is officially approved:
Anti-hunting legislation will never get through the House of Lords.
Once again we failed to get the Bill through Parliament.

get (something) through to somebody

phrasal verb
to succeed in making someone understand something, especially when this is difficult:
I couldn't seem to get through to her.
How can I get it through to him that this is really important?

get to somebody/something

phrasal verb
1 to make someone feel annoyed or upset:
I'm under a lot of pressure at work, and sometimes it gets to me a bit.
Don't let things get to you.
2

get to thinking/wondering something

informal to start thinking something:
He got to thinking how disappointed his parents would be.

get together

phrasal verb
1 if people get together, they meet in order to spend time with each other:
We must get together for a drink.
2 if two people get together, they start a romantic or sexual relationship
3

get something ↔ together

to collect things together:
I need to get some paperwork together for the meeting.
4

get somebody ↔ together

to bring people together to make a group:
He got together a group of local businessmen to discuss the problem.
5

get something ↔ together

to succeed in getting enough money to do or buy something:
We're trying to get together enough money to buy a flat.
6

get something together

informal to change your life so that it is organized and you are in control of it:
He's just trying to get his life together at the moment.
get yourself together
I'm staying with my parents for a while, until I've got myself together a bit.
7

get it together

spoken to be organized and successful in your life, job etc:
The government can't seem to get it together on the environment.

get up

phrasal verb
1

get (somebody) up

to get out of your bed after sleeping, or to make someone get out of their bed:
We didn't get up until lunch time.
Get me up at seven, would you?
2 to stand up:
He got up and walked over to the window.
3 if a wind or storm gets up, it starts and gets stronger
4

be got up as/in something

British English informal to be dressed in particular clothes:
He arrived at the party got up as Count Dracula.
The men were all got up in suits.
5

get it up

informal to get an erection (1)

get up to something

phrasal verb
to do something, especially something slightly bad:
Go upstairs and see what the kids are getting up to.
What did you get up to at the weekend?
WORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

gain, earn, getDo not use gain to mean 'get money for work you do'. Use earn • people earning less than £10,000 per year • How much does he earn?Gain means to get something useful or necessary, whether or not you deserve it • I have gained a lot of useful experience. • Her problems seem to have gained her more support from the public.Use earn rather than gain to say that you get something because you deserve it • Through hard work you will earn the respect of your colleagues.Get can be used as a less formal way of saying gain or earn • I get $20 an hour. • He has started to get a reputation for being awkward. ➔ See also gainWORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

become, get, go, turn, grow, comebecome can be followed by an adjective or noun, not a verb • Her husband became jealous. • We soon became friends.The following words are used with an adjective instead of become, in certain cases:get is very often used instead of become, and is more usual in spoken English • I was getting hungry. • Things got worse and worse.go is usedto say that something changes colour • The sky went pink.to say that someone feels a change in their body • My fingers have gone numb. with blind and deaf • He went blind. with mad, insane, crazy etc • The crowd went wild.turn is used especially to say that something changes colour • The liquid turned green. • His face turned pale.grow can be used in fairly literary written English to say that something changes gradually • It grew dark as we walked.with a to-infinitive, to say that someone gradually starts doing something • We grew to love each other.come is usedwith adjectives like apart, undone, and unstuck • Your shoelace has come undone. • A few pages came loose. with true • Her prediction came true. with a to-infinitive to say that someone starts doing something • I eventually came to realize (NOT became to realize) I was wrong. ➔ See also becomeWORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

bring, take, get, fetchbring means to carry something or come with someone to the place where you are or to the place where you are talking about • Would you like me to bring anything to the party? • She brought her Spanish friend into class.take means to carry something or go with someone to another place, away from where you are or where you are talking about • Don't forget to take your umbrella. • I'll take you home.get means to go to another place and come back with something or someone • I went upstairs to get my jacket.In British English, you can also use fetch • Will you fetch Susan from the airport?In American English, you only use fetch to talk about a dog getting something. ➔ See also bring
Definition of get from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
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