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Glite Dictionary
to bone up

to bone up

9 7.6
To study quickly before an exam or important event
  • phrasal verb
  • /boʊn ʌp/
  • Informal
translation icon : estudiar intensamente
  • Before the final exam, she decided to bone up on all the topics covered in class.
  • bone up on history
  • bone up on issues
  • better bone up

I mean, as a side note, Cobbleston was the person who we often used in Graduate School to like, you know, get get boned up on, on people.

Examples

  • I'm boning up on marine life since entomology doesn't seem to be your subject, and I 'm eager to find a subject, Marnie, any subject.

    Marnie (1964)

  • Beyond doing your own writing, it would be beneficial to bone up on your reading.

    Blog text (6)

  • You might want to bone up on what "hard power" and "soft power" are.

    Blog text (3)

  • Get this book and bone up.

    Academic text (2006)

  • And bone up on some evolution too.

    Blog text (1)

  • I'm a complete novice at internet security and have been doing my best to bone up.

    Blog text (27)

  • Yes, I'm boning up for your Bruce Wayne meeting in the morning.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • GOP Rep Vita admitted he needs to "bone up" on the content of the charter.

    Blog text (25)

  • OK, so everybody should bone up on their master theorem and, and substitution methods for recurrences and so forth, because that's what we're going to be doing.

  • About two years ago, after Wells Fargo stopped responding to his letters requesting more information, Patrick boned up and learned about a law called the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

    Blog text (32)

Synonyms

to get up
vsto bone up
  • UK
34 5.3

To study something quickly before a test

is similar but explicitly used for short intense study before any important event
to cram
vsto bone up
15 3.9

Study very hard in a short time for an exam

means intense short study too but not only last minute rushes
to hit the books
vsto bone up
  • Informal
12 3.9

To study hard, usually by reading books or notes

refers more generally to short intensive study, not only starting or reading
to grind away
vsto bone up
  • Informal
1 6.3

Work hard for a long time on something, often before an exam or deadline

focuses on brief intense preparation rather than long persistent effort
to swot
vsto bone up
  • UK
9.1

To study very hard before an exam

is used for exams and also for other short intense preparation periods
to swot up
vsto bone up
  • UK
8.2

Study something a lot in a short time to prepare for an exam

is broader, applying to exams and other short intense study situations
to mug up
vsto bone up
  • Indian
8.3

To study a lot in a short time before a test

covers the same short intensive preparation but also for important nonexam events

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to neglect
256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Intense

to cram
15 3.9
to bone up
  • Informal
9 7.6
to study
∞ 1.0
to review
106 1.8
to skim
1 2.7

Surface Forms

bone up infinitive
boned up past
boned up past participle
boning up present participle
bones up third person singular

Morphology

bone + up

The meaning 'to study intensively' is not derivable from the literal constituents: knowing 'bone' (a skeletal part) and 'up' (increase/movement) gives no clear cue toward intensive studying. This is an idiomatic phrasal verb sense that learners cannot predict from the parts and thus would be unfamiliar without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrasal verb bone up may come from the image of someone chewing a bone with complete focus, working away at it like a dog with its prize. The up adds the idea of doing this fully, so bone up came to mean 'to study something intensively' before an exam or event.