1 C1 idiomatic informal
(Regional, chiefly US) To be physically unable to move freely due to injury, pain, or old age.
"My grandfather gets all stove up in the winter when his arthritis flares."
inseparable
stove up
C1 informal inseparable intransitive
To be physically incapacitated by injury, illness, or exhaustion, especially in regional American English.
In plain English
To be stuck somewhere because your body hurts too much to move.
What does "stove up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Of an object) To be bent, crushed, or damaged so that it no longer functions properly.
"The old truck's front axle was completely stove up after hitting the ditch."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Stove' is a past form of 'stave,' meaning to crush or break in — so 'stoved up' originally meant broken or crushed.
Actually means
To be stuck somewhere because your body hurts too much to move.
Usage tip
Chiefly American regional (Southern and rural dialects). Often used in the passive ('stove up'). Rarely heard in formal or urban speech. May also refer to objects that are bent or damaged.
Words that pair with "stove up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
knee back hip old injury winter cold
How to conjugate "stove up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stove up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stoves up
he/she/it
Past simple
stoved up
yesterday
Past participle
stoved up
have + pp
-ing form
stoving up
continuous
Hear "stove up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stove up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "stove up"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
crippled up hobbled immobilized incapacitated laid up
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