build up
B1-B2Neutral to slightly formal. Common in both written and spoken English.
Definition
Meaning
To increase, develop, or strengthen something gradually over time.
1. (intransitive/transitive) To accumulate or increase in intensity, size, or amount. 2. (transitive) To describe something positively, often excessively, to promote or praise. 3. (reflexive) To prepare oneself psychologically or physically for a demanding event.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a progressive, often steady, process of accumulation or strengthening. Can carry positive (development) or negative (unhealthy accumulation) connotations depending on context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major syntactic differences. 'Built-up area' is more common in UK planning/geography contexts. US English slightly prefers 'buildup' as a solid noun for military/pressure situations.
Connotations
Generally consistent. The promotional sense ('hype up') is equally common. The reflexive sense ('to build oneself up') is slightly more formal in both.
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties. The phrasal verb form is marginally more frequent in UK corpus data, while the noun 'buildup' (one word) is more established in US military/political writing.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[sb] build up [sth][sth] builds upbuild [sb/sth] up as [noun phrase]build up to [sth]build [oneself] up for [sth]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Rome wasn't built in a day.”
- “build up a head of steam”
- “build up to a fever pitch”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
To develop a company, client base, or brand equity over time (e.g., 'We need to build up our market share').
Academic
To develop an argument, body of evidence, or theoretical framework progressively (e.g., 'The author builds up a compelling case').
Everyday
To accumulate things (clutter, savings), develop fitness, or describe anticipation (e.g., 'Traffic is building up on the M25').
Technical
In engineering/science: accumulation of substances (sediment, charge, toxins). In sports science: increasing training load.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- We need to build up a decent pension pot.
- Anticipation built up before the royal wedding.
- The media built him up as a genius, only to tear him down later.
- He's building himself up in the gym for the marathon.
American English
- She built up a successful business from nothing.
- Tension is building up ahead of the election.
- Don't build your hopes up too much.
- The team built up to the big game with intense practices.
adverb
British English
- This is not a standard adverbial form for 'build up'. Use phrasal verb structure.
American English
- This is not a standard adverbial form for 'build up'. Use phrasal verb structure.
adjective
British English
- Heavily built-up areas have stricter pollution controls.
- Avoid the built-up section of the high street during rush hour.
American English
- The built-up neighborhoods near the city center are densely populated.
- The mechanic showed me the built-up carbon deposits.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I want to build up my collection of stamps.
- Dust builds up on the furniture if you don't clean.
- He is building up his strength after being ill.
- The company is trying to build up its presence in Asia.
- You should build up your savings for an emergency.
- Traffic builds up here every evening around five.
- Over years, she built up a formidable reputation for integrity.
- The political pressure has been building up for months and now demands action.
- The film expertly builds up a sense of dread before the final reveal.
- The prosecutor spent the first week building up an incontrovertible case against the defendant.
- Athletes must carefully periodise their training to build up workload without causing injury.
- He had been built up by the press as the saviour of the party, which made his eventual failure all the more dramatic.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine stacking bricks one by one to BUILD a wall UP higher. Each brick is a small addition, leading to a larger, stronger structure.
Conceptual Metaphor
DEVELOPMENT IS UPWARD CONSTRUCTION (building up a career), INTENSITY IS ACCUMULATED MASS (pressure builds up), PRAISE IS CONSTRUCTION (building someone up).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'строить вверх'. Use 'развивать', 'накапливать(ся)', 'усиливать(ся)'. The promotional sense ('to build up a product') is 'раскручивать', not 'строить'.
Common Mistakes
- *He built up his car. (Use 'modified' or 'tuned up')
- *The story built up in the end. (Use 'built to a climax')
- Confusing 'build up' (process) with 'buildup' (noun result).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'build up' used in its PROMOTIONAL sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are correct but used differently. The phrasal verb is always two words: 'build up'. The noun, meaning 'a period of increase or accumulation', can be one word ('buildup') or hyphenated ('build-up'), with 'buildup' being more common in American English.
Yes, very commonly. Emotions like excitement, tension, anger, and anticipation can 'build up' (e.g., 'Frustration had been building up for weeks').
'Build up' emphasizes the gradual, accumulative process. 'Establish' focuses more on the founding or setting up of something stable. You 'establish' a company (found it), then 'build it up' (grow it over time).
Yes. It can describe the unhealthy or problematic accumulation of something, like 'plaque builds up on teeth', 'toxins build up in the body', or 'resentment built up between them'.