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Glite Dictionary
to gummy up

to gummy up

8.1
To become sticky and gather into lumps, making it hard to use
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈɡʌmi ʌp/
  • Informal
translation icon : pegarse
  • If you leave the glue open, it will gummy up and become hard to use.

Examples

  • Hair products can gummy up your brush if not cleaned regularly.

  • The sugar began to gummy up when exposed to moisture.

  • The glue gummied up after being exposed to air.

  • Don't let the candy gummy up in the heat!

  • The glue will gummy up if you don't close the cap tightly.

  • If the paint sits too long, it can gummy up and be difficult to apply.

  • After a few days, the leftover food can gummy up in the container.

Synonyms

to gum up
vsto gummy up
  • Informal
6 7.2

To make moving parts stuck with dirt or glue so they stop working

becomes sticky and clumps together making it hard to use
to gum
vsto gummy up
2 7.2

To put a sticky substance on something so it sticks

becomes sticky and clumps together rather than being applied to surfaces

Antonyms

to dissolve
64 2.4

To mix into a liquid so it becomes part of it

to loosen
15 2.8

Make soil less hard so roots can grow

How Sticky

to jam
13 4.4
to gum up
  • Informal
6 7.2
to gummy up
  • Informal
8.1
to stick
769 1.0

Surface Forms

gummy up infinitive
gummied up past
gummied up past participle
gummying up present participle
gummys up third person singular

Morphology

gummy + up

The meaning 'to become sticky or clump together' is directly inferable from 'gummy' (sticky, tacky) combined with the particle 'up' indicating change into or intensification of that state; this follows common English patterns (e.g., dry up, clump up). Because the sense is compositional and not idiomatic, a B1 learner who knows the constituents can reasonably predict the meaning.

Etymology

The verb gummy up comes from the simple picture of something turning gummy like sticky chewing gum and clumping up so parts stick together. So when something 'gummies up' it means 'to become sticky or clump together', making tools or products hard to use.