as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
it won't do you any good to get all het up before the tryouts and lose sleep
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Recent Examples of het up
As for the airport tray aesthetic, while people might be getting het up at the idea of Gen Z holding up the line for some navel-gazing, the US Transport Security Administration is sanguine about the risk.
—
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
So why has the Chanel version gotten people so het up?
—New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021
Something about unfolding Bennifer events, this rekindling of an old flame, has got all of us het up.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 June 2021
In a normal December, people would be more concerned with the holidays and a busy schedule and wouldn't get this het up with Congress.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2020
Cultural appropriation is one of the issues that gets hft most het up.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2020
Looking at the schedule for London, which kicks off tomorrow, there’s a pretty meaningful amount of exciting menswear action to get het up about.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2019
Open to charges of sacrilege, though interestingly the digital watchdogs of this world seemed too busy picking their collective jaws up off the floor in amazement to get het up about it.
—New York Times, 8 May 2018
Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 8 Sep. 2024
So why has the Chanel version gotten people so het up?
—New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021
Something about unfolding Bennifer events, this rekindling of an old flame, has got all of us het up.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 16 June 2021
In a normal December, people would be more concerned with the holidays and a busy schedule and wouldn't get this het up with Congress.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Dec. 2020
Cultural appropriation is one of the issues that gets hft most het up.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2020
Looking at the schedule for London, which kicks off tomorrow, there’s a pretty meaningful amount of exciting menswear action to get het up about.
—Luke Leitch, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2019
Open to charges of sacrilege, though interestingly the digital watchdogs of this world seemed too busy picking their collective jaws up off the floor in amazement to get het up about it.
—New York Times, 8 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for het up
Adjective
-
Many tourism leaders in gateway towns near them are worried tourists will start going elsewhere if the park experience or its environment gets eroded.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
24 July 2025
-
As an interior and environment appropriations bill makes its way through Congress, activists are worried about its impacts, including on coal ash regulations.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Bettors are taking the underdog in the hopes of an upset.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
In return, the Twins got a whole lot of salary relief, particularly from the Correa deal, a host of prospects, young major-league players and an upset fanbase.—
Betsy Helfand,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This is their first major sit-down interview together, and both are a bit anxious.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
-
With Iran and its proxies diminished and Gulf states anxious to diversify their economies, any prospect for broader peace and normalization runs through Riyadh.—
Edward Felsenthal,
Time,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Joe Mazur, senior analyst at Trivium China, a research and advisory firm, said the use of exit bans and the lack of clarity around specific cases will make foreign companies extremely nervous about sending staff to China, damaging overall business confidence.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
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All 11 brought home at least one full point in Rome, the result of their talent but also of a cohesive approach where veteran Justin Rose was willing to be paired with nervous rookie Robert MacIntyre in fourball and sit the foursomes sessions.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
In her mind, the community in her fictional story should be one of privilege, a circumstance in which Ruth, who grew up in a working-class Yiddish family, could initially feel ill at ease.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
-
The young man may be introverted or otherwise socially ill at ease.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
She Rides Shotgun begins with one uneasy situation and ends on quite another, and the two hours in between are anything but comfortable.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
31 July 2025
-
Step 3: Open the door and actually listen Senior leaders should become more visible, Burke says, especially to help coach managers who feel uneasy addressing tough topics.—
Alyshia Hull,
USA Today,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Russia has admitted that the fate of its sole aircraft carrier, the troubled Admiral Kuznetsov, is most likely either the scrapyard or an unlikely sale to another country.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
There’s usually a moment when the NFL will send a troubled player that exact message.—
Omar Kelly
July 28,
Miami Herald,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Het up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/het%20up. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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