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up against the wall

up a·gainst the wall
U u

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [uhp uh-genst, uh-geynst stressed th ee wawl]
    • /ʌp əˈgɛnst, əˈgeɪnst stressed ði wɔl/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [uhp uh-genst, uh-geynst stressed th ee wawl]
    • /ʌp əˈgɛnst, əˈgeɪnst stressed ði wɔl/

Definitions of up against the wall words

  • noun up against the wall any of various permanent upright constructions having a length much greater than the thickness and presenting a continuous surface except where pierced by doors, windows, etc.: used for shelter, protection, or privacy, or to subdivide interior space, to support floors, roofs, or the like, to retain earth, to fence in an area, etc. 1
  • noun up against the wall Usually, walls. a rampart raised for defensive purposes. 1
  • noun up against the wall an immaterial or intangible barrier, obstruction, etc., suggesting a wall: a wall of prejudice. 1
  • noun up against the wall a wall-like, enclosing part, thing, mass, etc.: a wall of fire; a wall of troops. 1
  • noun up against the wall an embankment to prevent flooding, as a levee or sea wall. 1
  • noun up against the wall the outermost film or layer of structural material protecting, surrounding, and defining the physical limits of an object: the wall of a blood cell. 1
See all 23 definitions of up against the wall

Information block about the term

Origin of up against the wall

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English w(e)all < Latin vallum palisade, derivative of vallus stake, post; see wale1; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Up against the wall

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Up against the wall

up against the wall popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

up against the wall usage trend in Literature

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