a)BECOME work up enthusiasm/interest/courage etc to make yourself feel interested, brave etc 激起热情/激起兴趣/鼓起勇气等
I’m trying to work up enough courage to go to the dentist.
我正在努力鼓起勇气去看牙医。
b)HUNGRY/WANT TO EAT work up an appetite/a thirst/a sweat to make yourself hungry or thirsty, or make yourself sweat, especially by doing physicalexercise 〔尤指运动之后〕引起食欲/渴感/出汗
You can work up a really big thirst playing tennis.
打网球能让人非常口渴。
c)ANGRY work somebody up to make someone very angry, excited, or upset about something 使某人感到气愤[激动,不安]
d)work something ↔ upIMPROVE to develop and improve something such as a project or a piece of writing 逐步完善〔计划、文章等〕
Jack took notes which he would work up into a report later.
杰克记了笔记,稍后会将其整理成一份报告。
Examples from the Corpus
work yourself up• You are working yourself up again.• But Nick was working himself up into one of his states, and she had to harden her heart.• When I try to protest, he works himself up more.• You don't have to work yourself up over this.