1 C1 idiomatic informal
To mentally prepare and harden oneself emotionally before facing a difficult or frightening situation.
"She had to steel herself up before knocking on the door to deliver the bad news."
separable
steel up
C1 informal separable transitive
To mentally prepare yourself to face something difficult or unpleasant.
In plain English
Get yourself ready inside your head to do something scary or tough.
What does "steel up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To encourage or push another person to be mentally stronger or braver.
"His coach tried to steel him up before the final round of the championship."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make something hard like steel — metaphorically applied to one's emotions or will.
Actually means
Get yourself ready inside your head to do something scary or tough.
Usage tip
Less common than the reflexive form 'steel yourself/oneself'. Often used before a confrontation, difficult conversation, or challenging task. The metaphor comes from steel as a hard, strong metal.
Words that pair with "steel up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
yourself nerves resolve confrontation challenge moment
How to conjugate "steel up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
steel up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
steels up
he/she/it
Past simple
steeled up
yesterday
Past participle
steeled up
have + pp
-ing form
steeling up
continuous
Hear "steel up" in the wild
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