steam up
steam up — phrasal verb
- steam upbase form
- steams up3rd person singular
- steaming up-ing form
- steamed uppast simple
1. When a glass surface, window, or lens becomes covered with tiny drops of water b
When a glass surface, window, or lens becomes covered with tiny drops of water because warm, damp air touches a cooler surface, making it hard to see through clearly.
After Iris's hot shower, the bathroom mirror was completely steamed up.
passive: be steamed up
Marta wiped her glasses because they had steamed up in the warm shop.
The kitchen windows always steam up when Grandma boils a large pot of potatoes.
Ilan used the car's defroster to clear the windscreen, which had steamed up overnight.
- clear
opposite action — to remove moisture so the surface becomes see-through again
文法句型
steam + object + up
steam up + object
object + steam up (no object)
常見錯誤
steam up — verb
- steam uppresent simple I / you / we / they
- steams up3rd person singular
- steaming up-ing form
- steamed uppast simple
1. To cause someone to feel very annoyed, angry, or full of strong emotion, as if p
To cause someone to feel very annoyed, angry, or full of strong emotion, as if pressure is building up inside them.
The unfair criticism from her boss steamed Adaeze up so much she could not concentrate.
transitive: steam + person + up
Ari gets steamed up whenever people interrupt him during a meeting.
passive/reflexive: get steamed up
Don't get so steamed up about the train delays — it happens every winter.
The team was all steamed up after losing the championship by a single point.
Shanti's rude remarks about the food really steamed her mother up at dinner.
- calm down
opposite effect — to make someone less angry or excited
文法句型
get + steamed up
steam + person + up
be + steamed up
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive or reflexive pattern 'get steamed up'. The subject causing the anger is typically a situation, event, or someone's words, not a person acting intentionally. Distinguish from the COVER WITH STEAM sense (phrasal verb/1), which describes physical condensation rather than emotion.
常見錯誤
2. For an enclosed space such as a room, vehicle, or greenhouse to fill with visibl
For an enclosed space such as a room, vehicle, or greenhouse to fill with visible water vapour, making the air damp and hazy.
The small bathroom steamed up within two minutes of Vinícius turning on the shower.
intransitive: room + steams up + time phrase
The sauna steamed up within seconds of Sade pouring water onto the hot rocks.
intransitive: sauna + steams up + time phrase
The whole car steamed up after the children got inside with their wet raincoats.
The greenhouse steamed up so heavily that Jiwoo could barely see the rows of orchids.
The room steamed up so badly that Emily could barely see the door.
- fill with steam
more literal and descriptive; less idiomatic than 'steam up'
- become misty
gentler; suggests fine moisture rather than thick visible vapour
文法句型
place + steams up
place + steamed up
用法筆記
Subject MUST be an enclosed space (room, vehicle interior, greenhouse, sauna, etc.), not a glass surface or lens. Used intransitively only — you cannot use an object with this sense. For surfaces such as windows, mirrors, and lenses becoming covered with condensation, use the phrasal verb sense (COVER WITH STEAM) instead.