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

The other big question is whether a good, hard warm-up accomplishes the same thing. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024

As more players take the field to warm-up, colleague Jeff Zrebiec stops by to catch up. —Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

Verb

The double-wall vacuum insulation keeps hot drinks warm up to eight hours and cold beverages cool for 24 hours. —Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Saturday will warm up to the low 30s, with a clear morning followed by a slight chance of snow showers, the NWS said. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 12 Dec. 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