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work up

B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words

To slowly build up a feeling or to create something by working hard at it.

Literal meaning: To work upward — building something up from a lower state to a higher one.

Meanings

1 B1 idiomatic neutral

To generate a physical condition (such as a sweat or appetite) through sustained activity.

"We worked up quite an appetite hiking through the mountains all morning."

Grammar: separable
2 B1 idiomatic informal

To make someone (often oneself) emotionally agitated, excited, or upset.

"Don't get yourself worked up over something you can't control."

Grammar: separable
3 B2 neutral

To develop or expand something basic into something more complete or polished.

"She worked up her rough notes into a full business proposal over the weekend."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Has several common uses: generating physical states ('work up a sweat', 'work up an appetite'), creating emotional states ('work yourself up'), and developing something from basic material ('work up a sketch into a full design'). Often used with 'get worked up' meaning to become anxious or agitated.

Commonly used with

sweat appetite courage enthusiasm anger draft plan emotion

Forms

Base
work up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
works up
he/she/it
Past simple
worked up
yesterday
Past participle
worked up
have + pp
-ing form
working up
continuous

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Synonyms

build up cultivate develop rouse stir up work toward

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