Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

rub up

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables
rub up
IPA
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To polish or scrub; to cover (something with a substance) by rubbing.

Transitive verb

verb

To rub (a body part): to massage, give a massage to.

Transitive verb

verb

To rub (a body part): to massage, give a massage to.

Intransitive verb; Transitive verb

verb

To create (something) by rubbing.

Transitive verb

verb

To revive one's knowledge of (something); to renew (a skill).

Dated; Informal

verb

To assault (someone).

American usage; Slang; Transitive verb

verb

To reduce (something) to a powder or paste using friction (with a mortar and pestle, for example); to mix (with something) using friction.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To excite or awaken (something); to revive or reawaken (something).

Obsolete; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Usage

Inflected Forms

rubs up (present, singular) rubbing up (participle, present) rubbed up (participle, past) rubbed up (past) rub ups (plural)

Phrases

rub down rub up against rub up on rub up the wrong way

Frequently Paired Words

rub down rub up against rub up on rub up the wrong way

Synonyms

bone up brush up review revise rough up

Questions

What does rub up mean?
To polish or scrub; to cover (something with a substance) by rubbing.

How to pronounce rub up

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “rub up”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “rub up”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “rub up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.