fire up
Idioms-
Inflame with enthusiasm, anger, or another strong emotion, as in Her speech fired up the crowd in favor of her proposals . This expression dates from the early 1800s, when it referred literally to starting a fire in a furnace or boiler; its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.
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Light a pipe, cigar, or cigarette, as in Do you mind if I fire up? [Late 1800s] A more common term, however, is light up , def. 2.
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Start the ignition of an engine, as in Whenever he tried to fire up the motor, it stalled . [Mid-1900s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Why do some supermassive black holes blast out radio jets right after shredding a star, while others just sit there looking completely dormant, only to suddenly fire up their jets months or even years later?"
From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026
During periods of low wind or when clouds are blocking the sun, it may mean having to fire up fossil fuel power stations to provide the energy required to keep the servers blinking.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Then he’ll fire up his console and camera and go as long as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
This July 4, millions of Americans will fire up their grills and cook plenty of burgers and steaks.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
At first light blowing their fire up, they cooked their breakfast and sent their lads out, driving herds to root in the tall timber.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
