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to warm up

to warm up

19 2.4
Run an engine a short time so it works properly
  • phrasal verb
  • /wɔrm ʌp/
translation icon : calentar el motor
  • We need to let the engine warm up before driving in cold weather.
  • warm up the engine
  • warm up the car
  • warm up the truck

OK S post Hi everyone, My girlfriend insists on idling her car for more than the legal time limit to warm it up in the morning.

Examples

Synonyms

to heat up
vsto warm up
84 1.0

To make something hot or warm

is achieved by running the machine until it reaches normal working temperature
to preheat
vsto warm up
35 2.1

To heat an oven or pan to the right temperature before you cook

is achieved by running the machine until it reaches normal working temperature
to prewarm
vsto warm up
5.0

Heat something before you use it

is done by running the machine until it reaches normal working temperature

Antonyms

28 1.1

Become less hot or make something less hot

Surface Forms

warm up infinitive
warmed up past
warmed up past participle
warming up present participle
warms up third person singular

Morphology

warm + up

The friendship sense is a metaphorical extension of the literal meanings 'warm' (to become warmer) and 'up' (increase): emotional 'warmth' maps to friendliness and 'warm up' therefore means 'become more friendly'. Because this requires recognizing a metaphorical shift (and phrasal-verb variability across contexts), a B1 learner who only knows the literal senses may not reliably infer the social meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Warm up — The phrasal verb warm up for machines comes from the idea of running an engine a short time so its parts get warm and work better. That's why it means 'to run a machine until it is ready to work'.