size up — assess (someone or something) quickly and informally
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutralcommon
to look at a person or situation and form a quick judgment about them, often based on first impressions or limited information.
Say it like a native
Textbook He quickly evaluated the situation before responding.
Native He sized up the situation before responding.
'Size up' is the natural spoken verb for a quick judgment; 'evaluated' is formal.
Pattern: size up + noun/pronoun
In use
- When I walked into the interview, I could tell the panel was sizing me up before I even sat down.daily life
- In my opinion, people often size up others based on appearance, but that can lead to unfair assumptions.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ She sized up to the new boss.
✓ She sized up the new boss.
'Size up' takes the object directly — no 'to'.
Common collocations
size up + target— the situation, the competition, his opponent, a stranger
Don't confuse it
'Size up' is more informal and immediate than 'evaluate' or 'assess', which suggest a longer or more careful process.