1 C1 informal
To arm oneself or a group with firearms in preparation for conflict.
"The local militia gunned up before heading into the disputed territory."
separable
gun up
C1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To arm oneself or others with guns; also to accelerate an engine by increasing its throttle.
In plain English
To get guns and be ready to fight, or to make an engine go faster.
What does "gun up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 informal
To increase the throttle or speed of an engine rapidly.
"He gunned up the motorcycle and sped away from the traffic lights."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To take up or supply guns; to rev up an engine.
Actually means
To get guns and be ready to fight, or to make an engine go faster.
Usage tip
The weapons sense is chiefly North American informal and appears in journalistic and colloquial contexts. The engine sense is used by drivers or mechanics. Both senses are relatively uncommon.
Words that pair with "gun up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
militia troops engine throttle crew gang
How to conjugate "gun up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
gun up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
guns up
he/she/it
Past simple
guned up
yesterday
Past participle
guned up
have + pp
-ing form
guning up
continuous
Hear "gun up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "gun up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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