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

Luckily, now is the perfect time to add a few more pairs of joggers, warm-up layers, or even a sleek jumpsuit to your rotation—all of which are on sale at Nordstrom now. —Sara Coughlin, SELF, 15 July 2024

Our next warm-up is underway as soon as a somewhat unsettled Saturday. —Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 12 July 2024

Verb

In the pilot, God is depicted as a jerk who slowly warms up to his feline body and helps the family overcome their lack of communication by teaming up to kill monsters in a game. —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 14 July 2024

However, the group warmed up by the end, and the activity went a few minutes over time because people kept sharing ideas. —Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 9 July 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