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.
Astros manager Joe Espada was overjoyed, saying, "I'm super fired up. He's a competitor who is here to win. He has grit and toughness and I'm just excited to have him on board."
From Barron's
Towards the end of the week, a greater temperature contrast is expected across the UK as a deep area of low pressure swings in, fired up by an active jet stream overhead.
From BBC
Their surprise arrival at college football’s biggest stage has fired up the Hoosiers.
From Los Angeles Times
Exeter, defending a single-point lead, were on the ropes late on against Saracens as the hosts fired up their driven maul and motored towards the line.
From BBC
The popular explanation for this is that artificial intelligence is driving demand for electricity, and firing up more natural gas is the easiest way for utilities to meet demand.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
