pick up the phone

verb

To pick up the receiver of a telephone, generally with the intention of making a phone call.

“If you ever need help, all you've gotta do is pick up the phone and give me a call.”

Opposite
hang up
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbpick up the phone (third-person singular simple present picks up the phone, present participle picking up the phone, simple past and past participle picked up the phone)

present singular third person picks up the phone · participle present picking up the phone · participle past picked up the phone · past picked up the phone

  1. To pick up the receiver of a telephone, generally with the intention of making a phone call.

    If you ever need help, all you've gotta do is pick up the phone and give me a call.

    1 more example

    These deals won't last, so don't wait! Pick up the phone and dial Big Harry today! He'll find the perfect car for you!

    Antonyms: hang up

  2. To answer an incoming telephone call.

    She dialed nervously, praying that Grandma would pick up the phone and everything would turn out OK.

    Antonyms: hang up

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo pick up the receiver of a telephone, generally with the intention of making a phone call.

Opposite
hang up

verbTo answer an incoming telephone call.

Opposite
hang up
Also see
pick up

Translations

Arabic رَفَعَ السَّمَّاعَة
  • رَفَعَ السَّمَّاعَة (rafaʕa as-sammāʕa)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Chinese Cantonese 接電話 /接电话, 聽電話 /听电话
  • 接電話 /接电话to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • 聽電話 /听电话to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Chinese Mandarin 拿起電話 /拿起电话, 接電話 /接电话
  • 拿起電話 /拿起电话 (náqǐ diànhuà)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • 接電話 /接电话 (jiē diànhuà)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Finnish vastata puhelimeen
  • vastata puhelimeento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
French décrocher
  • décrocherto pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
German den Hörer abnehmen, abheben
  • den Hörer abnehmento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • abhebento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • abnehmento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Japanese 電話に出る, 受話器を取る
  • 電話に出る (denwa ni deru)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • 受話器を取る (juwaki o toru)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Korean 전화를 받다, 전화를 들다
  • 전화를 받다 (jeonhwa-reul batda)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • 전화를 들다 (jeonhwa-reul deulda)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Norwegian Bokmål ta telefonen
  • ta telefonento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Polish odbierać telefon, odebrać telefon
  • odbierać telefonto pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • odebrać telefonto pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Portuguese atender (o telefone)
  • atender (o telefone)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Russian брать тру́бку, взять тру́бку
  • брать тру́бку (bratʹ trúbku)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
  • взять тру́бку (vzjatʹ trúbku)to pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Spanish contestar el teléfono
  • contestar el teléfonoto pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Swedish svara i telefonen
  • svara i telefonento pick up the receiver of a telephone to answer a call
Cite this entry
APA

pick up the phone. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20up%20the%20phone

MLA

“pick up the phone.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20up%20the%20phone. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pick up the phone,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20up%20the%20phone.

Source: pick up the phone on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.