pick up steam

Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Encyclopedia.

Related to pick up steam: stick with, Off the Top of My Head, off chance, run out of steam

pick up steam

To gradually grow in strength, momentum, power, influence, etc. Though few believed that the independence campaign would have a chance of succeeding, lately it's been picking up steam. They've been sluggish in the first half, but the team has finally started picking up steam.

pick up steam

If a process or activity picks up steam, it starts to become stronger, faster, or more active. Note: The following expressions refer to the use of steam to provide power for a machine, especially a steam engine. Hopefully, the economy will pick up steam next year. Just as the presidential campaign was picking up steam, riots exploded in Los Angeles.

ˌget up/ˌpick up ˈsteam

1 gradually increase speed: As the train came out of the tunnel, it picked up steam.
2 (informal) gradually get bigger, more active or popular: The election campaign is getting up steam now; it is only two weeks to election day. ♢ I’m trying to get up enough steam to finish writing this book, but it’s not easy.