Phrasal verb
choke up
Definition
phrasal verb. to feel so much emotion that you find it hard to speak. You might feel like you are about to cry.
phrasal verb. to become unable to speak clearly or at all due to a strong emotional response, typically sadness or overwhelming gratitude.
Examples
“He starts to choke up whenever he talks about his old dog.”
“The bride's father began to choke up during his speech at the wedding reception.”
“The veteran choked up as he recounted the harrowing details of the rescue mission to the hushed audience.”
Examples
simple
“He starts to choke up whenever he talks about his old dog.”
contextual
“The bride's father began to choke up during his speech at the wedding reception.”
complex
“The veteran choked up as he recounted the harrowing details of the rescue mission to the hushed audience.”
Usage
usually used as an intransitive verb to describe a person's physical reaction to emotion.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'choke' (physical blockage of the throat) to show how the particle 'up' shifts the meaning to an internal emotional state.
Pitfall
The sad movie made me choke.
The sad movie made me choke up.
without 'up', 'choke' implies you are physically unable to breathe because of an object in your throat.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
choke + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/choke-up