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warm up

A2 neutral separable both
In simple words

Get warmer, get your body ready for exercise, get a machine ready to work, or help someone feel relaxed.

Literal meaning: To become or make warm, moving upward in temperature.

Meanings

1 A2 neutral

To do light exercise to prepare the body before more intense physical activity.

"Always warm up for at least ten minutes before you start running."

Grammar: inseparable
2 A2 neutral

To gradually reach the correct operating temperature (for an engine, machine, or device).

"Let the car engine warm up for a minute before you drive in cold weather."

Grammar: inseparable
3 A2 neutral

To become or make a person feel warmer after being cold.

"Come inside and have some soup — it'll warm you up."

Grammar: separable
4 B1 idiomatic neutral

To make an audience, crowd, or person feel relaxed, enthusiastic, and ready.

"The comedian spent twenty minutes warming up the audience before the main act."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Extremely versatile. Used for physical preparation before sports, for gradually increasing an engine or device's performance, for an audience before a show ('warm-up act'), and for making a social atmosphere friendlier.

Commonly used with

engine muscles crowd audience oven car voice

Forms

Base
warm up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
warms up
he/she/it
Past simple
warmed up
yesterday
Past participle
warmed up
have + pp
-ing form
warming up
continuous

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Synonyms

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