1 A2 neutral
To heat a liquid until it reaches boiling point and bubbles vigorously.
"He boiled up a large pot of water for the pasta."
separable
boil up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To heat a liquid until it boils vigorously; or (figuratively) for a feeling or situation to intensify rapidly.
In plain English
To make a liquid very hot until it bubbles strongly, or for a feeling to start growing quickly and strongly inside you.
What does "boil up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
(Of an emotion or situation) To intensify rapidly, suggesting an imminent outburst.
"She could feel the anger boiling up inside her as she listened to his excuses."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Of trouble or conflict) To develop and grow more intense, suggesting things are about to get worse.
"There's trouble boiling up along the border — the situation could escalate at any moment."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cause something to boil up (rise) due to heat.
Actually means
To make a liquid very hot until it bubbles strongly, or for a feeling to start growing quickly and strongly inside you.
Usage tip
The literal sense is common in everyday cooking contexts. The figurative sense describes strong emotions (anger, resentment) rising inside a person — often suggesting they are about to explode. 'Something is boiling up inside me' is a common pattern.
Words that pair with "boil up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
water kettle anger resentment fury trouble
How to conjugate "boil up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
boil up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
boils up
he/she/it
Past simple
boiled up
yesterday
Past participle
boiled up
have + pp
-ing form
boiling up
continuous
Hear "boil up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "boil up"
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