Phrase guide

warm up

verb · 14 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌwɔː(ɹ)m ˈʌp/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To become warmer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • He came inside to warm up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To heat or reheat (e.g. food).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I couldn't be bothered to cook another meal so I just warmed up yesterday's leftovers.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To reach, or cause to reach, a normal operating temperature (of a car for example).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • These old valve radios take a few minutes to warm up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To physically or mentally prepare oneself, something or someone for an activity.

To do gentle exercise, stretching etc., in order to prepare the body for more vigorous exercise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • It is important to warm up properly before your gym session.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To physically or mentally prepare oneself, something or someone for an activity.

To prepare for an activity by carrying out a practice or preparation routine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

Examples

  • The band were already on stage, warming up for the gig.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To physically or mentally prepare oneself, something or someone for an activity.

To make (an audience) enthusiastic or animated before a show.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • Rich knew how to warm up the audience of The Price is Right. His good looks and charming personality made even that special.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

Synonym of warm (to favor increasingly).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: warm

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

Synonym of warm (“prepopulate a cache”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: warm

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

Synonym of warm (“send mail from a domain to improve reputation”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Internet, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: warm

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

make one's body limber or suppler by stretching, as if to prepare for strenuous physical activity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: limber up, loosen up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exercise, work out

11

verb

Meaning 11

cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The coach warmed up the players before the game

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exercise, work, work out, put to work

Narrower terms: limber

12

verb

Meaning 12

become more friendly or open

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She warmed up after we had lunch together

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

13

verb

Meaning 13

get warm or warmer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The soup warmed slowly on the stove

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: warm

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

14

verb

Meaning 14

run until the normal working temperature is reached

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We warmed up the car for a few minutes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: operate, run

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

116 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِسْتَدْفَأَ (istadfaʔa) — to become warmer
  • Azerbaijani: qızmaq — to become warmer
  • Azerbaijani: qızışmaq — to become warmer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暖和(起來) /暖和(起来) — to become warmer
  • Finnish: lämmitellä — to become warmer
  • French: se réchauffer — to become warmer
  • French: se chauffer — to become warmer
  • German: sich aufwärmen — to become warmer
  • Ancient Greek: θερμαίνομαι (thermaínomai) — to become warmer
  • Hungarian: felmelegedik — to become warmer
  • Hungarian: megmelegedik — to become warmer
  • Ingrian: varistua — to become warmer
  • Ingrian: kuumeta — to become warmer
  • Japanese: 温まる (atatamaru) — to become warmer
  • Latin: calēscō — to become warmer
  • Portuguese: aquecer — to become warmer
  • Portuguese: esquentar — to become warmer
  • Quechua: ruphay — to become warmer
  • Quechua: qunuy — to become warmer
  • Russian: нагрева́ться (nagrevátʹsja) — to become warmer
  • Russian: нагре́ться (nagrétʹsja) — to become warmer
  • Russian: согрева́ться (sogrevátʹsja) — to become warmer
  • Russian: гре́ться (grétʹsja) — to become warmer
  • Russian: согре́ться (sogrétʹsja) — to become warmer
  • Slovak: ohriať sa — to become warmer
  • Slovak: ohrievať sa — to become warmer
  • Slovak: zohriať sa — to become warmer
  • Slovak: zohrievať sa — to become warmer
  • Walloon: si restchåfer — to become warmer
  • Walloon: si reschandi — to become warmer
  • Welsh: cynhesu — to become warmer
  • Welsh: twymo — to become warmer
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱 /热 (rè) — to heat or reheat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 加熱 /加热 (jiārè) — to heat or reheat
  • Czech: ohřát — to heat or reheat
  • Finnish: lämmittää — to heat or reheat
  • French: réchauffer — to heat or reheat
  • German: aufwärmen — to heat or reheat
  • German: wärmen — to heat or reheat
  • Hungarian: felmelegít — to heat or reheat
  • Hungarian: megmelegít — to heat or reheat
  • Japanese: 加熱する (kanetsu suru) — to heat or reheat
  • Māori: whakatāmahana — to heat or reheat
  • Māori: tāmahana — to heat or reheat
  • Portuguese: reaquecer — to heat or reheat
  • Portuguese: aquecer — to heat or reheat
  • Portuguese: esquentar — to heat or reheat
  • Russian: разогрева́ть (razogrevátʹ) — to heat or reheat
  • Russian: разогре́ть (razogrétʹ) — to heat or reheat
  • Russian: подогрева́ть (podogrevátʹ) — to heat or reheat
  • Russian: подогре́ть (podogrétʹ) — to heat or reheat
  • Russian: греть (gretʹ) — to heat or reheat
  • Slovak: zohriať — to heat or reheat
  • Slovak: zohrievať — to heat or reheat
  • Walloon: ritchåfer — to heat or reheat
  • Welsh: cynhesu — to heat or reheat
  • Welsh: twymo — to heat or reheat
  • Arabic: دَفَّأَ (daffaʔa) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Arabic: أَدْفَأَ (ʔadfaʔa) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暖 (nuǎn) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焐 (wù) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變熱 /变热 (biàn rè) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Finnish: lämmittää — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Finnish: lämmetä — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • German: warmlaufen — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • German: warmlaufen lassen — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Hungarian: bemelegedik — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Japanese: 暖める (atatameru) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Japanese: 暖まる (atatamaru) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Japanese: ウォームアップする (wōmuappu suru) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Portuguese: aquecer — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Russian: нагрева́ть (nagrevátʹ) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Russian: гре́ть (grétʹ) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Russian: нагрева́ться (nagrevátʹsja) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Russian: гре́ться (grétʹsja) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Russian: нагре́ться (nagrétʹsja) — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Slovak: zahriať sa — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Slovak: zahrievať sa — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Walloon: tchåfer — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • ǃXóõ: ǂgáʻã — to reach a normal operating temperature
  • Chinese Mandarin: 熱身 /热身 (rèshēn) — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Finnish: verrytellä — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Finnish: lämmitellä — to stretch etc before exercise
  • German: sich aufwärmen — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Greek: προθερμαίνω (prothermaíno) — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Hungarian: bemelegít — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Māori: koiri — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Polish: rozgrzać się — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Polish: rozgrzewać się — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Portuguese: aquecer — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Slovak: zahriať sa — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Slovak: zahrievať sa — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Slovak: rozcvičiť sa — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Slovak: rozcvičovať sa — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Spanish: entrar en calor — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Swedish: värma upp — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Vietnamese: khởi động — to stretch etc before exercise
  • Finnish: lämmitellä — to do some additional practice
  • French: s'échauffer — to do some additional practice
  • Hungarian: bemelegít — to do some additional practice
  • Māori: koiri — to do some additional practice
  • Russian: размина́ться (razminátʹsja) — to do some additional practice
  • Russian: размя́ться (razmjátʹsja) — to do some additional practice
  • Spanish: calentar motores — to do some additional practice
  • Finnish: lämmittää — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Finnish: lämmitellä — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • French: échauffer — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • German: aufwärmen — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Hungarian: bemelegít — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Hungarian: fellelkesít — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Portuguese: aquecer — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Portuguese: animar — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Portuguese: entusiasmar — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Russian: разогрева́ть (razogrevátʹ) — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Russian: разогре́ть (razogrétʹ) — to make an audience enthusiastic
  • Walloon: estchåfer — to make an audience enthusiastic