tune up en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
- (transitive) To make adjustments (to an engine or bicycle drivetrain) in order to improve its performance.
- (intransitive) To make preparations for vigorous exercise; to warm up.
- (intransitive) To begin to sing or play music.
-
(intransitive) To tune one's instrument in preparation for performance.
By this time the theatre had practically filled and the orchestra was tuning up for the overture.
1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC:
-
(US, idiomatic, transitive) To beat up (someone).
“I mean, I had to tune her up a bit. She bitched a lot and never did any work. Sometimes, you know, you just gotta get their attention, whack 'em a little."
2015, Joe Peters, Bill Fleming, Code Black, →ISBN, page 264:[T]hey couldn't tune him up because the murder had to look like he died in his sleep.
2017, Jeff Gulvin, The Contract: A John Q Thriller, →ISBN:“We finally stopped roustin' him and decided to tune him up instead, every chance we got.” “Tune him up?” “Yeah, that's an expression for beatin' the living dog shit outta somebody.”
2007, Michael Berish, Reflections from the Pit, →ISBN:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tuned up | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| tuned up | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| tunes up | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| tuning up | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
soup up (improve the performance of an engine)
Translations (7)
pl dostroić (adjust engine) · bg настройвам (adjust engine) · es trucar (adjust engine) · sv trimma (adjust engine) · pl dostrajać (adjust engine) · es mejorar (adjust engine) · da tune (adjust engine)