phrasal verb🧩 phrasal verb

shut up

to stop talking

What it means

An informal and often rude way to tell someone to stop talking. It can also mean to lock or close a place, or to express surprise (especially in American slang).

Examples

  • Please shut up — I'm trying to concentrate on this maths problem.
  • He shut up the shop early because hardly any customers came in.
  • Shut up! You met Taylor Swift backstage? That's incredible!
  • She told her little brother to shut up and stop teasing the cat.

Where it comes from

Generally considered rude when telling people to be quiet — softer alternatives include 'be quiet' or 'hush'. The American slang 'shut up!' meaning 'no way!' became popular in the 1990s.

Related phrasal verbs

#speak up#calm down#hold on#hang on

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