1 B2 idiomatic informal
To gather courage, strength, or mental resolve in preparation for something difficult.
"She braced herself up and walked into the interview room with her head held high."
brace up
B2 informal intransitive
To summon courage, strength, or resolve to face a difficult situation; to prepare yourself mentally.
In plain English
To tell yourself (or someone else) to be strong and not give up when facing something hard.
What does "brace up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To add physical support or reinforcement to something to make it stronger.
"They braced up the old fence with extra posts before the storm arrived."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To brace (add a physical brace or support) upward, making something stronger.
Actually means
To tell yourself (or someone else) to be strong and not give up when facing something hard.
Usage tip
Can be used reflexively ('brace yourself up') or as a command to someone else ('brace up!'). Somewhat old-fashioned in tone but still understood and used, especially in British English. Also used physically — to add support to a structure.
Words that pair with "brace up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
courage resolve challenge difficulty news yourself
How to conjugate "brace up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
brace up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
braces up
he/she/it
Past simple
braced up
yesterday
Past participle
braced up
have + pp
-ing form
bracing up
continuous
Hear "brace up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "brace up"
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