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

Levine says percussion therapy is key for both pre-workout warm-ups and post-workout recovery. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Sep. 2024

These half-dozen dates are just a warm-up, albeit an arena-sized warm-up, with a full tour said to be following in 2025. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Sep. 2024

Verb

Tara said Hunter caught her while warming up for an event. —Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024

Combined with cardamom, sandalwood, and vetiver—with hints of tonka bean and amber—a few spritzes of this signature scent is like warming up to a nice cozy fire. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Sep. 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