as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
it won't do you any good to get all het up before the tryouts and lose sleep
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Recent Examples of het up
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
So why has the Chanel version gotten people so het up?
—New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021
Something about unfolding Bennifer events, this rekindling of an old flame, has got all of us het up.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 June 2021
In a normal December, people would be more concerned with the holidays and a busy schedule and wouldn't get this het up with Congress.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2020
Cultural appropriation is one of the issues that gets hft most het up.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2020
Looking at the schedule for London, which kicks off tomorrow, there’s a pretty meaningful amount of exciting menswear action to get het up about.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2019
Open to charges of sacrilege, though interestingly the digital watchdogs of this world seemed too busy picking their collective jaws up off the floor in amazement to get het up about it.
—New York Times, 8 May 2018
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
So why has the Chanel version gotten people so het up?
—New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021
Something about unfolding Bennifer events, this rekindling of an old flame, has got all of us het up.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 June 2021
In a normal December, people would be more concerned with the holidays and a busy schedule and wouldn't get this het up with Congress.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2020
Cultural appropriation is one of the issues that gets hft most het up.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2020
Looking at the schedule for London, which kicks off tomorrow, there’s a pretty meaningful amount of exciting menswear action to get het up about.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2019
Open to charges of sacrilege, though interestingly the digital watchdogs of this world seemed too busy picking their collective jaws up off the floor in amazement to get het up about it.
—New York Times, 8 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for het up
Adjective
-
As Republicans work to pass President Donald Trump's reconciliation bill by his July 4 deadline, many are worried about the changes that could be coming to Medicaid.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 June 2025
-
But even in a Congress filled with newcomers, the memory of 2018 (and its electoral fallout for a beleaguered GOP) should be fresh enough to keep people worried.—
Joseph Thorndike,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
The heated encounter occurred outside a building, as Hannah-Kim appeared visibly upset about the situation and wanted an explanation for Kove’s actions.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
26 June 2025
-
After the game, a Diamondbacks spokesperson told the Arizona Republic that Marte was upset because a fan had heckled him about Elpidia Valdez, who died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
But perhaps the most persuasive testimony came from Mrs. Hall herself, who embodied the defense’s portrait of a loyal, unsuspecting wife, home alone and anxious over her husband’s mysterious disappearance.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
-
Other dogs, especially those that are anxious or suffer from separation anxiety, might find comfort in your scent.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
But with Wirtz, there was suddenly an effort not to do that; the media got nervous about calling it a record.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Watching his son evolve from a 4-star recruit out of Columbus High School in Miami to an eventual first-round pick out of Michigan State, Richardson doesn’t get too nervous or overly excited when Jase is on the court.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
The young man may be introverted or otherwise socially ill at ease.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
29 May 2025
-
In addition to making people feel ill at ease and exacerbating respiratory illnesses, the wind, combined with dry conditions, has elevated the fire risk across Texas.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
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Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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In the upcoming ninth season of Rehab Addict, which premieres on June 24, Curtis restores both that Wyoming home and a troubled Detroit property that had been invaded by squatters.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
24 June 2025
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The long and troubled history of the would-be Venus spacecraft, known as Kosmos-482, can shed some light on these key questions, scientists say.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Het up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/het%20up. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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