warm-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯrm-ˌəp 

variants or less commonly warmup

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a preparatory activity or procedure

2

: a suit for exercise or casual wear consisting of a jacket or sweatshirt and pants

—often used in plural

called also warm-up suit

warm up

2 of 2

verb

warmed up; warming up; warms up

intransitive verb

: to engage in exercise or practice especially before entering a game or contest

broadly : to get ready

Synonyms

Noun

• curtain-raiser
• overture
• preamble
• preliminary
• prelude
• prologue
• prolog

Examples of warm-up in a Sentence

Noun

the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Friday brings a slight warm-up to 67 degrees, leading into a sunny Saturday with a high near 73. —Skylar Heisey, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024

However, another big warm-up is on the way next week with more temperature swings expected through the first week of November for the eastern third of the nation. —Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2024

Verb

Inside the arena, local politicians – some famous, some not – warmed up the crowd by extolling the virtues of Trump and the Republicans. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024

And for extra cozy points, warm up around the fire pit or take a dip in the hot tub. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1915, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1846, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

warm-up

noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp

1

: the act or an instance of warming up

2

: a practice or set of exercises done before a game, contest, or workout

Medical Definition

warm-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈwȯr-ˌməp 

: the act or an instance of warming up

also : a procedure (as a set of exercises) used in warming up

warm up

2 of 2 intransitive verb

(ˈ)wȯr-ˈməp 

: to engage in preliminary exercise (as to stretch the muscles)

important to warm up properly before running