Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shape up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.71 in modern English

Syllables: shape up
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.

Intransitive verb

verb

To take shape; to transform into or become.

Intransitive verb

verb

To gesture or posture threateningly; to approach as if to fight; to pose to intimidate.

Intransitive verb; Slang

Example Sentences

"He'd better shape up soon, or he'll fail the class."
"You better shape up 'Cause I need a man And my heart is set on you"
"The fog has vanished and it's shaping up to be a beautiful day."
"Pretty good. A full refrigerator! I can see this afternoon is shaping up just great."
"Even though this episode felt packed to the brim and sometimes unwieldly, the strongest moments were spent with Cersei, Sansa, and Daenerys: three daughters who were never supposed to rule, wading through their pain and suffering to shape The Seven Kingdoms. A lot has been said and written about the sons in this story who were never meant to rule (Tyrion, Jon, even Sam) but this season is shaping up to be an examination of these women."

Usage

Inflected Forms

shapes up (present, singular) shaping up (participle, present) shaped up (participle, past) shaped up (past)

Phrases

shape up or ship out in shape

Frequently Paired Words

in shape

Synonyms

bridge up improve pull one's finger out pull one's socks up become turn into turn out to be progress come on come along advance get on

Questions

What does shape up mean?: To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.

How to pronounce shape up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shape up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “shape up”.
Repeat and practice — Say “shape up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.