Definition

Verb (transitive and intransitive): 1. To develop, produce, or create something gradually through effort. 2. To stimulate or arouse a particular feeling, state, or condition in oneself or someone else. 3. To increase in intensity, amount, or degree.

Usage and Examples

• To develop or create something:
  • The team worked up a detailed proposal for the new project.
  • She worked up a sketch of the design before starting the final painting.
• To stimulate a feeling or state:
  • I need to work up the energy to go for a run.
  • The speaker worked up the crowd's enthusiasm.
  • He couldn't work up any interest in the topic.
• To increase gradually (often used with "to"):
  • Start slowly and work up to more difficult exercises.
  • The music worked up to a dramatic climax.

Advanced Usage

• "Work up an appetite": To do something that makes you feel hungry.
  • A long walk will work up an appetite for dinner.
• "Work up a sweat": To exercise or exert oneself enough to start sweating.
  • He worked up a sweat during his morning workout.
• "Work up the courage/nerve": To gradually make yourself brave enough to do something difficult.
  • It took her weeks to work up the courage to ask for a promotion.

Variants and Related Words

• Workup (noun): A thorough medical or diagnostic examination.
  • The doctor ordered a full workup to determine the cause of the symptoms.

Synonyms

• Develop
• Generate
• Formulate
• Arouse
• Stimulate
• Build up
• Ramp up

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Work out: To solve, plan, or exercise.
  • We need to work out the details. (Compare to "work up a plan," which focuses on the initial creation.)
• Work on: To spend time trying to improve or repair something.
  • He is working on his public speaking skills.

Idioms

• "Work oneself up (into a state)": To make oneself become very anxious, angry, or excited.
  • Don't work yourself up about the interview; just do your best.

Verb

1. come up with
   • His colleagues worked out his interesting idea
   • We worked up an ad for our client
2. bolster or strengthen
   • We worked up courage
   • build up confidence
   • ramp up security in the airports
3. develop
   • we worked up an as of an appetite
4. form or accumulate steadily
   • Resistance to the manager's plan built up quickly
   • Pressure is building up at the Indian-Pakistani border