Dictionary

spruce up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To dress or arrange smartly, elegantly, and neatly; to smarten.
2. (idiomatic) To refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance.
   • Here's an interesting effect of a global pandemic that has forced Americans to stay home for nearly 10 months: with less vacation and dine-out options, folks have more money saved up than usual and, given the virtually endless amount of time spent staring at their own four walls, they seem to be more willing than usual to shell out some extra cash to spruce up their abodes. 2020 December 3, Anna Rahmanan, “Christmas trees are, indeed, more expensive this year than last”, in Time Out:
   • Fresh paint and some new curtains would do a lot to spruce up this dark room.
   • Hu Yaobang was officially rehabilitated on the ninetieth anniversary of his birth in 2005 and his mausoleum in China Youth League City (Gongqingcheng) in Jiangxi province was spruced up. 2010, Bruce Gilley, “Deng Xiaoping and His Successors (1976 to the present)”, in William A. Joseph, editor, Politics in China: An Introduction, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 114:

Forms

Synonyms

sprucen up · spiff up · tart up · titivate

Translations (23)

pl uatrakcyjnić (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · hu kicsinosít (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · hu puccba vág (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · pl stroić się (to dress smartly, elegantly) · it agghindarsi (to dress smartly, elegantly) · hu kidíszít (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · ru прихора́шиваться (to dress smartly, elegantly) · ko 멋부리다 (to dress smartly, elegantly) · it mettersi in ghingheri (to dress smartly, elegantly) · pl uatrakcyjniać (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · hu feldíszít (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · it azzimare (to dress smartly, elegantly) · pl ulepszyć (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · it adornare (to dress smartly, elegantly) · ja しゃれる (to dress smartly, elegantly) · pl wystrajać się (to dress smartly, elegantly) · hu kicsípi magát (to dress smartly, elegantly) · hu feldob (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance) · pl wystroić się (to dress smartly, elegantly) · fr bichonner (to dress smartly, elegantly) · it abbellire (to dress smartly, elegantly) · it agghindare (to dress smartly, elegantly) · pl ulepszać (to refresh, revamp; to freshen or improve something, especially its appearance)