- To quickly form an opinion or judgment about someone based on their appearance, demeanor, or initial interactions.
- Often implies a quick assessment of their character, abilities, or potential threat/competition.
Explanation
Origin
- Likely derived from the literal meaning of size up – to measure something to understand its dimensions.
- Metaphorically applied to people, it means assessing their qualities or 'measure'.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Scope someone out. (Investigate or check them out)
- Clock someone. (Notice or assess them quickly)
- Peep someone. (Observe or check someone out, AAVE influence)
Milder/Standard:
- Evaluate someone.
- Observe someone.
Situational Appropriateness
- Common in informal and semi-formal settings.
- It implies making a potentially superficial judgment, so it might be considered impolite to say directly *about* someone present. Use with caution.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Ensure learners understand it's about forming a judgment or opinion, not physically measuring someone. The context of assessment/evaluation is key.
Examples
- The detective sized up the suspect as soon as he walked into the room.
- You can see the boxers sizing each other up before the fight begins.
- During the interview, she quickly sized up the candidate's confidence level.
Dialogue
Anna: The new sales rep just arrived. Have you met him?
Ben: Not yet, but I saw him walk in. Tall guy, sharp suit.
Anna: Yeah, I chatted with him for a minute. Still sizing him up, but he seems pretty confident.
Ben: Let's see how he does in the meeting.
Social Media Examples
- Blog Post: Networking Tips: How to quickly size up a room and identify key contacts.
- Tweet: At this conference, everyone's low-key sizing each other up. The competition is real! #Networking #Career
Response Patterns
- What was your impression? / What did you think?
- You can tell a lot just by looking, sometimes.
- First impressions aren't always right, though.
- Yeah, I was doing the same thing.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- The person who did the 'sizing up' might share their assessment (He seemed shifty, She looked very capable).
- Others might agree, disagree, or offer their own assessment.
- The interaction with the person being sized up usually follows, potentially influenced by the initial judgment.
Conversation Starter
- No. Usually describes an action or observation within a conversation.
Intonation
- Neutral to slightly assertive or appraising tone.
- Stress falls on SIZE and UP.
- Example: SIZE someone UP.
Generation Differences
- Widely understood and used across generations.
Regional Variations
- Common in all major English-speaking regions.