Dictionary

titivate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɪt.ə.veɪt/ (UK, US)
• /ˈtɪt.ɪ.veɪt/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

A modification of the earlier spelling tidivate, perhaps based on tidy + -vate, on the pattern of words such as cultivate and renovate.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make small improvements or alterations to (one's appearance etc.); to add some finishing touches to, to spruce up or touch up.
   • Had she spent the best part of a day in titivating herself in order that she might sit plunged in darkness, with nothing but her feet and her nose revealed? 1950, Mervyn Peake, Gormenghast:

Forms

Deriveds

titivation · titivator

Translations (24)

pt enfeitar (to make small improvements to) · fr pomponner (to make small improvements to) · pl odpicować (to make small improvements to) · ru прихорашиваться (to make small improvements to) · fi tällätä (to make small improvements to) · fi huolitella (to make small improvements to) · es afeitar (to make small improvements to) · ru прихорашивать (to make small improvements to) · ru наряжаться (to make small improvements to) · de schniedeln (to make small improvements to) · bg спретвам се (to make small improvements to) · fi hiplata (to make small improvements to) · fi huosia (to make small improvements to) · pt enfeitar-se (to make small improvements to) · ru наряжа́ть (to make small improvements to) · es arreglar (to make small improvements to) · pl odpicowywać (to make small improvements to) · bg украсявам се (to make small improvements to) · fi viimeistellä (to make small improvements to) · ja しゃれる (to make small improvements to) · fi pyntätä (to make small improvements to) · es adornar (to make small improvements to) · es vestirse de gala (to make small improvements to) · cs vyšňořit (to make small improvements to)