English Dictionary

UP TO NOW

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does up to now mean? 

UP TO NOW (adverb)
  The adverb UP TO NOW has 2 senses:

1. used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present timeplay

2. prior to the present timeplay

  Familiarity information: UP TO NOW used as an adverb is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


UP TO NOW (adverb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

Synonyms:

as yet; heretofore; hitherto; so far; thus far; til now; until now; up to now; yet

Context example:

the sun isn't up yet


Sense 2

Meaning:

Prior to the present time

Synonyms:

to date; up to now

Context example:

no suspect has been found to date


 Context examples 


Supposing that they have held her prisoner up to now, it is clear that they cannot let her loose without their own destruction.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But why not up to now?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

You shall see the body at the mortuary, but we have made nothing of it up to now.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I suppose, up to now, your lawyer has done it for you, or your business agent.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But I was sadly conscious that up to now I had never found the secret of drawing it forth.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Up to now you may have spoken the truth, but now I know that you have lied.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In about five minutes, however, he began to get more and more quiet, and finally sank into a sort of melancholy, in which state he has remained up to now.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I have dwelt up to now upon the terrors of Maple White Land; but there was another side to the subject, for all that morning we wandered among lovely flowers—mostly, as I observed, white or yellow in color, these being, as our professors explained, the primitive flower-shades.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Thanks to this lonely cottage and his own discretion, Godfrey has up to now succeeded.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Friend John, up to now fortune has made that woman of help to us; after to-night she must not have to do with this so terrible affair.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." (English proverb)

"If a man is to do something more than human, he must have more than human powers." (Native American proverb, tribe unknown)

"Fixing the known is better than waiting for the unknown." (Arabic proverb)

"All too good is neighbours fool." (Dutch proverb)


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