Akademik

work up
verb
1. form or accumulate steadily (Freq. 4)
-

Resistance to the manager's plan built up quickly

-

Pressure is building up at the Indian-Pakistani border

• Syn: ↑build up, ↑build, ↑progress
• Derivationally related forms: ↑progress (for: ↑progress)
• Hypernyms: ↑develop
• Verb Group: ↑build, ↑build up, ↑ramp up
• Verb Frames:
-

Something ——s

2. develop (Freq. 1)
-

we worked up an as of an appetite

• Syn: ↑get up
• Hypernyms: ↑grow, ↑develop, ↑produce, ↑get, ↑acquire
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

3. bolster or strengthen
-

We worked up courage

-

build up confidence

-

ramp up security in the airports

• Syn: ↑build up, ↑build, ↑ramp up
• Hypernyms: ↑increase
• Verb Group: ↑build up, ↑build, ↑progress
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

-

Something ——s something

4. come up with
-

His colleagues worked out his interesting idea

-

We worked up an ad for our client

• Syn: ↑work out
• Hypernyms: ↑develop, ↑make grow
• Verb Group: ↑elaborate, ↑work out
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s something

* * *

work up [phrasal verb]
1 work (someone) up : to make (someone) feel very angry, excited, upset, etc.

Don't work yourself up again.

— see also ↑worked up
2 work up (something) or work (something) up
2 a : to produce (something) by physical or mental effort

I worked up a sweat at the gym.

He managed to work up the courage to ask her out on a date.

2 b chiefly Brit : to improve your skill at (something) or increase your knowledge of (something)

I need to work up my French for the exam.

2 c chiefly Brit : to develop or expand (something)
— usually + into

He worked up the short story into a novel.

3 work up to (something) : to reach (something, such as a rate or level) by gradually increasing in speed, intensity, etc.

The ship gradually worked up to full speed.

The story starts slow but works up to a brilliant conclusion.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑work

Useful english dictionary. 2012.