fire up

fire up — phrasal verb

  • fire upbase form
  • fires up3rd person singular
  • firing up-ing form
  • fired uppast simple

1. to make a device, engine, or software program begin operating by switching it on

1.片語動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to make a device, engine, or software program begin operating by switching it on or pressing a button.

例句

I fired up my laptop and opened the spreadsheet for the morning meeting.

fire up + electronic device

Rashid fired up the barbecue grill while his sister prepared the vegetables.

同義詞
  • start up

    more neutral in register; common for machines and computers

  • turn on

    the most general and neutral phrase for any device

  • boot up

    specific to computers; slightly more technical

反義詞
  • shut down

    to turn off a computer or machine completely

  • turn off

    general opposite of 'turn on' or 'fire up'

文法句型

fire up [device/computer/engine]

fire something up

[device] fires up (intransitive)

用法筆記

Informal; used mainly in spoken English or casual writing. For formal contexts, 'start up' or 'turn on' are more neutral. Although normally transitive (someone fires up a device), the object can be dropped when the target device is clear from context — for example, 'The old generator still fires up on the first try.' This intransitive use covers the same meaning that some dictionaries label as an idiom.

常見錯誤

❌The computer fired up by itself.
✅Someone fired up the computer.' or 'The computer fired up.
💡As a transitive phrasal verb, it usually needs a person as the subject who does the starting.
❌I need to fire up for work.
✅I need to fire up my computer for work.
💡The object (what you start) must be stated unless it is clear from context.

2. to make someone feel very enthusiastic, motivated, or full of energy about somet

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to make someone feel very enthusiastic, motivated, or full of energy about something they are about to do or take part in.

例句

Coach Tanaka's speech fired up the players, and they scored three more goals in the second half.

fire up + object (person/group) + result clause

What fired you up to start learning Korean last year?

同義詞
  • inspire

    more formal and broader; suggests creating a lasting feeling rather than a sudden burst

  • motivate

    focuses on giving someone a reason to act; slightly less emotional than 'fire up'

  • energise

    emphasises giving someone physical or mental energy; similar register

反義詞
  • discourage

    to take away someone's confidence or enthusiasm

文法句型

fire someone up

fire up someone

be fired up (by/with something)

用法筆記

Often used in the passive voice when describing a person's emotional state (e.g. 'She was fired up about the campaign'). The preposition that follows is usually 'about', 'by', or 'with'.

常見錯誤

❌I fired up about the new project.
✅I got fired up about the new project.' or 'The new project fired me up.
💡'fire up' is transitive; you need an object or use the passive form.