build up — develop strength or confidence
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To gradually make someone or something stronger, healthier, or more confident.
Say it like a native
Textbook You must gradually augment your physical strength after the injury.
Native You need to build up your strength again.
'Gradually augment your physical strength' is clinical; 'build up your strength' is everyday.
Pattern: build up (something) / build (someone/something) up
In use
- Regular exercise can help you build up your strength after an illness.health
- Joining group discussions is a good way to build up your speaking skills in English.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I'm trying to build up my confident.
✓ I'm trying to build up my confidence.
It's the noun 'confidence', not the adjective 'confident'.
Common collocations
build up + strength/confidence— your strength, confidence, muscle, slowly
Don't confuse it
Different from 'recover', which means to get better, not necessarily stronger.
Related
- build up (increase gradually) — Another meaning of 'build up' is 'increase gradually'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.