1 B1 neutral
To clean or polish a surface by rubbing it vigorously.
"She rubbed up the old silver candlesticks until they gleamed."
separable
rub up
B2 neutral separable transitive
To polish or clean something by rubbing, or informally to revise or refresh one's knowledge of something.
In plain English
To make something shiny by rubbing it, or to quickly review something you've forgotten.
What does "rub up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To revise or refresh one's knowledge or skills in a subject.
"I need to rub up my French before the trip to Paris."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
In the fixed phrase 'rub someone up the wrong way': to irritate or annoy someone by behaving in a way they find unpleasant.
"He always manages to rub people up the wrong way without even trying."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To rub in an upward direction — the literal sense of polishing is transparent.
Actually means
To make something shiny by rubbing it, or to quickly review something you've forgotten.
Usage tip
The polishing sense is literal and straightforward. The 'revise/refresh' sense is informal and less common than 'brush up'. The fixed phrase 'rub someone up the wrong way' (to irritate someone) is a separate idiom and should not be confused with this entry. Common in British English.
Words that pair with "rub up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
silver skills knowledge surface language facts
How to conjugate "rub up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
rub up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
rubs up
he/she/it
Past simple
rubed up
yesterday
Past participle
rubed up
have + pp
-ing form
rubing up
continuous
Hear "rub up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "rub up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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