to work up
57
5.6
- phrasal verb
- /wɜrk ʌp/
- Informal
:
alterarse
- Why are you getting so worked up about this?
- get worked up
Do you still feel yourself getting really worked up about national politics?
- Do you still feel yourself getting really worked up about national politics?
- And people find it really engaging, but they get really worked up talking to Spike.
- You're you're lean and and and fit like why are you so worked up about your health and fitness?
- The ultimate play when the narcissist is trying to get you worked up with jealousy, don't play that game.
- Don't bring the things that you're already worked up about and then have their hooks in you psychologically.
- He couldn't get it 'cause he worked himself up in this Cape rolling Yeah.
- And so again, now if he does not work himself up to the level that you can Revere, we got a big problem on our hands.
- There's just turn the friggin frogs gay slinging fucking like you said, snake oil, like just it's all just a way to get you worked up.
Examples
-
Don't let yourself get so worked up about it, he said silently.
Fiction book (1999) -
Try not to get so worked up, Jack.
-
Do you still feel yourself getting really worked up about national politics?
-
No need to get so worked up about it.
-
What are you getting so worked up about?
-
Look, I think we're getting all worked up over nothing!
-
What are you so worked up about?
-
What is the point in getting all worked up over something we cannot control?
Blog text (6) -
Don't get yourself all worked up.
-
It's easy to work up your emotions when discussing sensitive topics.
Synonyms
9
3.7
To make your muscles tight when you feel nervous
3
7.7
Feel nervous and tense in stressful situations
1
9.6
To become too angry or upset about small things
1
9.3
To suddenly feel nervous or worried
Antonyms
How Upset
- Informal
430
6.8
- Informal
57
5.6
362
1.0
77
1.0
98
3.2
- Informal
572
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense of emotions building or intensifying is partly derivable from combining 'work' (to develop or produce gradually) with 'up' (to increase/intensify), so a learner could infer it involves feelings growing. However, the specific idiomatic use meaning 'become agitated/upset' is a conventionalized phrasal-verb sense and not fully predictable from the parts, so it would likely require prior exposure for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Work up shows work and up as someone keeps thinking or talking and stirs their feelings until they rise, like stirring a pot until it boils, so it means 'to become emotionally upset'.