What does "build up" mean?

To increase or accumulate gradually Used for things that grow over time - pressure, excitement, collections, or traffic.

How do you use "build up" in a sentence?

Traffic builds up during rush hour. Tension was building up. She built up her savings over years.

Phrasal Verb BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

Meaning: To increase or accumulate gradually

积累，逐渐增加

Acumularse, aumentar gradualmente

蓄積する、徐々に増える

축적되다, 서서히 늘어나다

Used for things that grow over time - pressure, excitement, collections, or traffic.

用于随时间增长的事物——压力、兴奋、收藏品或交通。

Se usa para cosas que crecen con el tiempo: presión, emoción, colecciones o tráfico.

時間をかけて増えるもの（プレッシャー、興奮、コレクション、渋滞など）に使われます。

시간이 지나면서 증가하는 것들에 사용된다 — 압력, 흥분, 수집품 또는 교통량 등.

Base verb: build

Particle: up

Separable: Yes — the object can go between the verb and particle

Traffic builds up during rush hour.
高峰时段交通拥堵
El tráfico se acumula en hora punta
ラッシュアワーに渋滞が発生する
러시아워에 교통 체증이 심해진다.
Tension was building up.
紧张气氛在加剧
La tensión se estaba acumulando
緊張が高まっていた
긴장감이 고조되고 있었다.
She built up her savings over years.
她多年来积累了存款
Ella acumuló sus ahorros durante años
彼女は何年もかけて貯金を増やした
그녀는 수년에 걸쳐 저축을 불려 나갔다.

Context: accumulation, increase, development

Tone: observational

From constructing something by adding parts.

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal