to psych up

Examples

• All

• So I've been psyching myself up for the surgery for like the last two weeks now.

• While the boys get prepped and fitted for tuxes, Simon finally commits to telling his longtime crush Carly how he really feels, while Will, on the other hand, tries to psych himself up for a new pursuit.

  Blog text (17)

• I'm trying to psych myself up here;

  The Interview (2014)

• So you may find yourself having to psych yourself up when you walk up to mom and say, hey, mom, everything's great.

  DoctorRamani

• He's trying to psych me up.

  28 Days (2000)

• Like I had to psych myself up to go and get dressed in the mornings.

• So take a breath, psych yourself up, get ready because we're going back into lunge, right?

• What music do you listen to when you need encouragement or to psych yourself up and to sort of get what you need to get done?

• I had psyched myself up for the appointment and anxiously awaited the doctor to step into my room.

  Blog text (2)

• Before the big presentation, I always take a moment to psych up and boost my confidence.

Synonyms

P

to prepare for

vsto psych up

487 2.8

To make yourself ready in your mind for something unpleasant or difficult

emphasises becoming enthusiastic as part of personal mental readiness

G

to get excited

vsto psych up

112 1.0

To feel very eager and happy about something

involves deliberate mental readiness often achieved by increasing enthusiasm first

P

to psych

vsto psych up

• Informal

95 7.4

To get yourself or someone else mentally ready before a challenge

is about self mental readiness that increases enthusiasm before an event

P

to pump up

vsto psych up

• Informal

28 4.1

Make someone feel excited and full of energy

centres on individual mental readiness with personal enthusiasm rather than general energy

P

to psyche

vsto psych up

• Informal

4 6.8

To get ready mentally for a difficult task

focuses more on personal excitement as part of getting ready

C

to charge up

vsto psych up

• Informal

4 4.8

To make people feel excited and ready to act

is calmer self preparation aiming for readiness, not extreme arousal

P

to pep up

vsto psych up

• Informal

3 4.1

Make someone or something more lively and interesting

is mental self preparation with enthusiasm rather than brief liveliness

H

to hype up

vsto psych up

• Informal

3 5.6

To make someone feel very excited about something

is internal mental preparation rather than public or promotional excitement

How Prepared

to steel oneself

7 7.6

to psych up

• Informal

4 7.4

to pump up

• Informal

28 4.1

to prepare for

487 2.8

to compose

33 4.7

to calm down

• Informal

594 1.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology