English · Phrasal verb Attested

steel up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To steel oneself (to harden or strengthen).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm cho mình cứng rắn hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

He steeled up before leaving the house.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To make steely.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm cho trở nên cứng rắn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To gather the mental composure for (something).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

tập trung tinh thần cho một việc gì

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

What does “steel up” mean?

To steel oneself (to harden or strengthen).

Is “steel up” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.