1 C1 idiomatic informal
(Rare/informal) To tone or sculpt one's body through exercise, as if being carved from stone.
"He spent six months in the gym trying to chisel up his physique before the competition."
separable
chisel up
C1 informal separable transitive
A rare, non-standard expression occasionally used to mean sharpening or shaping something with a chisel, or (slang) to physically tone one's body.
In plain English
To cut or shape something using a chisel, or (informal) to get your body into better shape.
What does "chisel up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To work upward with a chisel — largely transparent in the literal sense.
Actually means
To cut or shape something using a chisel, or (informal) to get your body into better shape.
Usage tip
Not a recognized standard phrasal verb. Occasionally appears in bodybuilding slang to mean sculpting one's physique. Learners should treat this with caution as it is not widely established.
Words that pair with "chisel up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
body physique stone edge
How to conjugate "chisel up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
chisel up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
chisels up
he/she/it
Past simple
chiseled up
yesterday
Past participle
chiseled up
have + pp
-ing form
chiseling up
continuous
Hear "chisel up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "chisel up"
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