up and down

adverb

Upward and downward, alternately.

“the tide goes up and down”

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Meanings

adverbup and down (not comparable)
  1. not comparableUpward and downward, alternately.

    the tide goes up and down

    4 more examples

    my blood pressure goes up and down

    She looked me up and down and hinted that I could do with losing some weight.

    I quickly eyed the building up and down.

    The people on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down. The people on the bus go up and down, all through the town.

    traditional, “Wheels on the Bus”
  2. idiomaticnot comparableForwards and backwards alternately along a path.

    walk up and down the corridor

  3. idiomaticnot comparableStaunchly, unwaveringly, obstinately.

    He swore up and down that he hadn't taken the money.

    1 more example

    Christina is straight up and down fuckable.

    2006, Stephen Baker, Bomb Ass Pussy
  4. figurativelynot comparableIn various places, e.g., in a country.

    There's also a barber's shop and that staple of railway stations up and down the UK - a WH Smith.

    2022 January 12, Paul Bigland, “Fab Four: the nation's finest stations: Eastbourne”, in Rail, number 948, page 27
adjectiveup and down (not comparable)
  1. not comparablenauticalVertical; perpendicular; said of the cable when the anchor is under, or nearly under, the hawse hole, and the cable is taut.
  2. figurativelynot comparablePlain; downright.

    an up and down honest man

  3. Philippinesnot comparablearchitectureOf a building, having two stories.

Translations

Dutch op en neer
  • op en neerupward and downward, alternately
German auf und ab, rauf und runter
  • auf und abupward and downward, alternately
  • rauf und runterupward and downward, alternately
Hungarian fel s alá
  • fel s aláalternately forwards and backwards along a path
Italian su e giù
  • su e giùupward and downward, alternately
Korean 이리저리
  • 이리저리 (irijeori)upward and downward, alternately
Romanian în sus și în jos, în sus și în jos
  • în sus și în josupward and downward, alternately
  • în sus și în josalternately forwards and backwards along a path
  • în sus și în josstaunchly, unwaveringly, obstinately
Russian вверх-вниз, взад и вперёд
  • вверх-вниз (vverx-vniz)upward and downward, alternately
  • взад и вперёд (vzad i vperjód)alternately forwards and backwards along a path
Swedish upp och ner, fram och tillbaka
  • upp och nerupward and downward, alternately
  • fram och tillbakaalternately forwards and backwards along a path
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: up and down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.