warm up

To become less cold.

• Come inside and warm up.
• The room warmed up after we lit the fire.
• Will the weather warm up tomorrow?

Similar words: warm, get warmer

Opposites: cool down

Common phrases: warm up indoors, warm up slowly

To make something warmer, especially food that has become cold.

• Please warm up the soup.
• She warmed yesterday’s pasta up for lunch.
• Can I warm up your milk?

How to use it: warm something up (I warmed the rice up in a pan.)

Similar words: heat up, reheat

Opposites: cool down

Common phrases: warm up something, warm up some soup

To do easy exercises before harder exercise or sport.

• Always warm up before running.
• The players warmed up with gentle stretches.
• Have you warmed up your muscles yet?

How to use it: warm up before something (We warmed up before the match.); warm up by doing something (She warmed up by jogging around the field.)

Similar words: loosen up

Opposites: cool down

Common phrases: warm up before exercise, warm up your muscles

To practise or do something easy before starting your main activity.

• The singers need to warm up.
• We warmed up with some easy questions.
• She warmed up her fingers before playing the piano.

How to use it: warm up for something (The band warmed up for the evening concert.); warm up with something (We warmed up with a simple word game.)

Similar words: prepare, practise

Common phrases: warm up your voice, warm up for something

To let a machine reach the temperature it needs to work properly, or to reach that temperature.

• The engine needs to warm up.
• I warmed up the car before our trip.
• Has the machine warmed up enough to use?

How to use it: warm something up (He warmed the engine up before driving away.)

Similar words: heat up

Common phrases: warm up an engine, warm up the car

To get an audience interested and excited before a show begins.

• The comedian will warm up the crowd.
• A local band warmed us up before the main act.
• Who is warming up the audience tonight?

How to use it: warm someone up (The host warmed the audience up with a few jokes.)

Similar words: excite, liven up

Common phrases: warm up an audience, warm up the crowd