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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

level up en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

From level + up. The video game sense is a calque of Japanese レベルアップ (reberu appu) using the SOV word order.

Meanings

  1. (qualifier:literal and figurative, transitive) To raise to the same level or status; to improve so as to make as good as others.
    • The government promises to level up the department.
    • Near-synonym: step up
  2. (UK, specific) To reduce economic and developmental inequalities across the United Kingdom.
    • Labour's Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds hit back at Sunak and said that his failure to greenlight major projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail showed that government claims of levelling up the country were "not supported by the evidence". 2020 December 2, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Sunak focuses on jobs, infrastructure and 'levelling up'”, in Rail, page 7:
    • Boris Johnson should consider setting targets to level up the UK’s weakest regions to tackle widespread inequality, according to one of the government’s senior independent policy advisers. 2020 February 4, Phillip Inman, “Set targets to 'level up' regions, says Industrial Strategy Council”, in The Guardian:
  3. (ambitransitive, qualifier:roleplaying games) To progress to the next level of player character stats and abilities, often by acquiring experience points in role-playing games.
    • As your troops conquer the enemy, they'll earn experience and gain levels. Each time they level up, their stats will increase. 2003 December 14, “Fire Emblem”, in Nintendo Power, volume 174, Show Some Class, page 33:
    • For example, there are still mobs to defeat, and doing so levels up your character and improves your gear. 2024 November 21, Nathan Warby, “What is Supervive? New MOBA gameplay, platforms, more”, in Dexerto:
    • I leveled up after defeating the dragon.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
leveling up Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part US lexicographic
leveled up Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part US lexicographic
leveled up Tense=Past US lexicographic
levels up Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
levelling up Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part UK lexicographic
levelled up Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part UK lexicographic
levelled up Tense=Past UK lexicographic

Antonyms

level down

Coordinates

upgrade · ramp up

Synonyms

step up

Translations (17)

pt upar (gaming) · ko 레벨업하다 (gaming) · de aufstufen (gaming) · pt avançar de fase (gaming) · ja レベルアップする (gaming) · pl levelować (gaming) · fr passer au niveau supérieur (gaming) · es subir de nivel (gaming) · tr level atlamak (gaming) · tr seviye atlamak (gaming) · es pasar de nivel (gaming) · es avanzar (gaming) · pt passar de nível (gaming) · de aufleveln (gaming) · hu szintet lép (gaming) · it salire di livello (gaming) · pt avançar de nível (gaming)