stove up
Stiff, sore, and hard to move after work, age, or a wreck.
Also called stoved up, all stove up.
Updated September 24, 2026
stove up pronunciation
/STOHV up/
Meaning
How you feel when your body acts like it got banged up. Joints lock. Muscles complain. Getting out of the truck takes a minute. Can be one finger jammed in a gate, or your whole self after hay season or a fall. Has nothing to do with a kitchen stove.
How folks use it
- “I was all stove up after stacking that wood.”
- “He come home from the wreck so stove up he could hardly get in bed.”
Origin and etymology
Stove is an old past form of stave, meaning to smash or break in (like staving in a barrel or a boat hull). From there stove up came to mean damaged or laid up. Strong in Southern and Appalachian speech, and in older cowboy talk too. Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English cites it for sore, stiff joints after overwork or injury.
Frequently asked questions
Does stove up have anything to do with a stove?
No. It comes from stave, as in smash something in. Your body just feels like it got the same treatment.