Work up to Meaning in English
expression
ˈwɝk/ /ˈəp/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ
WURK-UP-too, WURK-UP-tuh, WURK-UP-tih
wˈɜːk/ /ˈʌp/ /tˈuː
WURK-UP-TOO
Definition
To gradually prepare for or achieve something difficult by starting with easier steps first.
Usage & Nuances
'Work up to' is informal and used for building skills, stamina, or confidence over time (e.g., 'work up to running 10 miles'). Commonly followed by a noun/verb-ing. It often involves gradual improvement, not sudden change.
Spanish: llegar a (con esfuerzo) - prepararse paraPortuguese (BR): chegar a (gradualmente) - preparar-se paraPortuguese (PT): chegar a (gradualmente) - preparar-se paraChinese (Simplified): 逐步达到 - 逐渐适应Chinese (Traditional): 逐步達到 - 逐漸適應Hindi: धीरे-धीरे पहुँच जाना - खुद को तैयार करनाArabic: يصل إلى (بالتدريج) - يتهيأ لـBengali: ধাপে ধাপে প্রস্তুত হওয়া - ধীরে ধীরে সক্ষম হওয়াRussian: постепенно переходить к - постепенно готовиться кJapanese: 徐々に慣れていく - 段階的に取り組むVietnamese: dần dần đạt tới - từng bước tiến tớiKorean: 점차 익숙해지다 - 차근차근 준비하다Turkish: aşama aşama hazırlanmak - yavaş yavaş başarmakUrdu: آہستہ آہستہ تیار ہونا - تدریجاً پہنچناIndonesian: berproses secara bertahap - mempersiapkan diri secara perlahan
Example Sentences
I'm trying to work up to running five kilometers.
basic
She worked up to speaking in front of the class.
basic
If you practice every day, you will work up to more difficult songs.
basic
Don’t rush—just work up to it at your own pace.
natural
It took months to work up to asking my boss for a raise.
natural
You can start small and work up to bigger challenges later.
natural