lay up - Definition & Meaning | Lingo Dictionary

lay up

(of an illness or injury) to confine someone to bed(of an illness or injury) to confine someone to bed

Examples

My friend was laid up with a broken leg for several weeks.
Severe flu symptoms laid her up, forcing her to take time off work and rest at home.
The athlete laid up with a hamstring injury.

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lay up

Third Person

lays up

Present Participle

laying up

Past Tense

laid up

Past Participle

laid up

1

(of an illness or injury) to confine someone to bed

My friend was laid up with a broken leg for several weeks.
Severe flu symptoms laid her up, forcing her to take time off work and rest at home.
The athlete laid up with a hamstring injury.
The sports injury was more serious than anticipated, and it laid the athlete up for an extended period.
The employee laid up at home with a case of the flu.

2

(in basketball) to score two points by gently placing the ball off the backboard with one hand

LeBron James can lay up from anywhere on the court.
The young player laid the ball up softly to avoid getting blocked.
The point guard drove to the basket and laid up the ball over the defender.
Stephen Curry laid up the ball over the outstretched arms of the defender.
Giannis Antetokounmpo laid the ball up with his left hand while being fouled hard.

3

to accumulate something for future use

I'm trying to lay up some money for a down payment on a house.
My grandparents always laid up food and supplies in case of a blizzard.
My dad has been laying up baseball cards since he was a kid.
The company is laying inventory up in anticipation of increased demand.
The government is laying oil reserves up in case of a supply disruption.

4

to create future problems for oneself

If you don't start studying for your exams, you're just laying up problems for yourself.
My friend is laying problems up for themselves by spending more money than they earn.
The company is laying up problems for itself by not investing in its employees.
The politician is laying up problems for themselves by making false promises.
The student is laying problems up for themselves by cheating on their exams.

5

to deactivate a ship or vehicle for storage or repair

The aircraft carrier was laid up for maintenance after it returned from a long deployment.
The oil tanker was laid up for repairs after it collided with another ship.
The military is laying up some of its vehicles due to budget cuts.
The space agency is laying up some of its spacecraft due to technical problems.
The car collector is laying some of his classic cars up until he can restore them.