🤔 What Does "Work Up" Mean?
The idiom "work up" means to develop or gradually build up an emotion, condition, or reaction—usually something intense like courage, anger, or a sweat.
It’s often used when talking about getting emotional (like nervousness or excitement) or building up physical or mental effort.
🕰 Origin of "Work Up"
The idiom "work up" comes from older English where "work" meant to exert effort and "up" signified increase or upward movement. It has been around since at least the 1500s in different forms, like "worked up into a frenzy." The phrase captures the idea of building something from a lower to a higher state, whether that’s emotional energy or physical exertion.
🗣 When and How is "Work Up" Used?
"Work up" is a versatile and informal idiom, often used in casual conversations, books, movies, and even therapy sessions.
It can be used in multiple ways:
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Emotionally: “She worked herself up into a panic.”
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Physically: “He worked up a sweat at the gym.”
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Mentally: “I’m trying to work up the courage to ask her out.”
It’s commonly used in both spoken and written English and works well in expressive, descriptive contexts.
🧭 Tone and Formality
"Work up" is typically informal. It’s not slang, but you wouldn’t usually use it in academic writing or legal documents. It has a slightly playful or dramatic tone, depending on context.
📝 5 Natural Sentence Examples Using "Work Up"
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Before her speech, Maria tried to work up the confidence to face the crowd.
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Don’t work yourself up—the test is easier than you think!
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He worked up a good sweat running laps around the field.
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I’m trying to work up the nerve to call my old boss.
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My dog gets all worked up when he hears the word “walk.”
🧠 Memory Tips for Remembering "Work Up"
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Picture a volcano slowly heating up—just like emotions do.
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Link it with effort + rise: You work (effort) something up (increase).
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Think of “warm-up” before exercise—it’s like a mini “work up.”
😂 Silly Story to Remember "Work Up"
Once upon a time, a nervous squirrel named Niblet wanted to propose to his crush, Nutmeg. But every time he saw her, his tail puffed up and he froze. So Niblet spent a week talking to trees, practicing speeches to pinecones, and doing tail push-ups. Finally, he worked up the courage to squeak out the question… and Nutmeg said yes! The moral? Even squirrels have to work up their bravery!
🧭 Keep Exploring Idioms!
Learning idioms like "work up" makes your English more colorful and expressive. Ready to discover more? Check out our posts on “spill the beans”, “hit the sack”, or “jump the gun” to add more flair to your conversations!