fire up

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Start the ignition of an engine, as in Whenever he tried to fire up the motor, it stalled . [Mid-1900s]

Example Sentences

The company is set to fire up a new gas-burning power plant that will largely replace the generation lost from Tihange, boosting Belgium’s greenhouse gas emissions, at least temporarily.

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“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” with its thunderous drums and hook made for firing up full stadiums, signaled the start of Swift’s turn from country to pop.

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Ben Griffin and Justin Rose get the crowd fired up as they both hole huge birdie putts on the seventh green at Bethpage in the Friday afternoon foursomes.

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"I think a lot about the late Ambassador Rooney and how fired up he would be about this trip, and how important the development of this trip was for him," he said.

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The Italian admitted he "absolutely" fired up his players in the half-time interval to spark their comeback.

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Related Words

• affect 
• animate 
• arouse 
• cause 
• embolden 
• excite 
• galvanize 
• get 
• hearten 
• impress 
• influence 
• instill 
• motivate 
• produce 
• provoke 
• spark 
• spur 
• stir 
• sway 
• touch