Dictionary

shape up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To improve; to correct one's bad habits or behavior.
   • 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 1978, John Farrar, “You're the One That I Want”, performed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta:
2. (idiomatic, intransitive) To take shape; to transform into or become.
   • The fog has vanished and it's shaping up to be a beautiful day.
   • 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. 2017 July 30, Ali Barthwell, “Ice and fire finally meet in a front-loaded episode of Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
   • Pretty good. A full refrigerator! I can see this afternoon is shaping up just great. 1983, 02:04:00 from the start, in The Right Stuff:
3. (intransitive, slang) To gesture or posture threateningly; to approach as if to fight; to pose to intimidate.

Forms

Deriveds

shape up or ship out

Relateds

in shape

Synonyms

improve (correct one's bad habits or behavior) · pull one's socks up (correct one's bad habits or behavior) · become (transform into) · turn into (transform into) · bridge up · pull one's finger out (correct one's bad habits or behavior) · turn out to be (transform into)

Translations (30)

pl wziąć się w garść (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · es lograr ser (transform into) · es perfilarse (transform into) · de sich bessern (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · es ponerse las pilas (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · pl nabrać formy (transform into) · pl ogarniać się (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · it migliorarsi (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · de sich gestalten (dahingehend) (transform into) · pl brać się w garść (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · sv komma i form (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · tr iyi yolda olmak (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · es desahuevarse (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · it trasformarsi (transform into) · ru подтяну́ться (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · es ponerse para lo suyo (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · es espabilarse (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · tr iyi gitmek (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · tr biçimlenmek (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · tr gelişmek (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · de sich entwickeln (dahingehend) (transform into) · sv rycka upp sig (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · pl ogarnąć się (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · de besser werden (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · de verbessern (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · sv forma sig (transform into) · nl de vorm aannemen (transform into) · es espabilar (to improve; correct one's bad habits) · de in die Richtung gehen (transform into) · pl nabierać formy (transform into)