stoke up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Figurative
Quick answer
What does “stoke up” mean?
To add fuel to a fire to make it burn more strongly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To add fuel to a fire to make it burn more strongly.
To increase the intensity of a feeling, activity, or situation; to eat a large amount of food.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use all meanings. The 'eating heartily' sense is slightly more established in British informal use.
Connotations
In both, the literal sense is neutral. Figuratively, it often connotes a deliberate, sometimes reckless, intensification.
Frequency
Moderately low frequency in both, more common in figurative contexts than literal ones.
Grammar
How to Use “stoke up” in a Sentence
[Subject] stoke up [Object] (e.g., He stoked up the fire).[Subject] stoke up (e.g., We stoked up before the long hike).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stoke up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We stoked up on a full English breakfast before the walk.
- The article stoked up public outrage over the scandal.
American English
- He stoked up the campfire for the night.
- The speech stoked up tensions within the community.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The new policy stoked up inflation fears in the markets.
Academic
The historian argued that propaganda was used to stoke up nationalist sentiment.
Everyday
Let's stoke up the barbecue before everyone arrives.
Technical
The operator must stoke up the boiler to maintain pressure.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stoke up”
- Using it transitively without 'up' in figurative senses (e.g., 'He stoked controversy' is correct, but 'He stoked up controversy' is more idiomatic for deliberate intensification).
- Confusing 'stoke up' (add fuel) with 'stock up' (accumulate supplies).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is generally informal, especially the 'eating' meaning. The figurative use (stoke up anger) is common in journalism and analytical writing.
Yes, in the 'eating' sense (e.g., 'We stoked up before leaving'). In the literal sense, the object (the fire) is usually stated.
'Stoke' is the base verb meaning to tend a fire. 'Stoke up' adds the particle 'up', emphasising the action of increasing intensity or adding fuel, and is the standard form for the figurative and 'eating' meanings.
It is 'stock up' for buying supplies (e.g., stock up on groceries). 'Stoke up' is for fires, emotions, or eating.
To add fuel to a fire to make it burn more strongly.
Stoke up: in British English it is pronounced /stəʊk ʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /stoʊk ʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “'Stoke up the home fires' (prepare for someone's return).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a STOKE(r) on a steam train, shovelling coal UP into the furnace to make it burn hotter.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONS/ACTIVITY ARE FIRE (to stoke up anger, to stoke up demand).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'stoke up' LEAST appropriate?