cook up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal
Quick answer
What does “cook up” mean?
To prepare food by heating it.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To prepare food by heating it.
To invent or fabricate something, typically a story, plan, or scheme, often with negative connotations of deceit or falsehood.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant dialectal difference in meaning. Both varieties use the term in the same literal and figurative ways. The frequency and usage are nearly identical.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties—neutral for food, negative (disapproving/hasty) for plans or stories.
Frequency
Common in both British and American informal speech and writing.
Grammar
How to Use “cook up” in a Sentence
Verb + Particle (phrasal verb, transitive): cook up + [object, usually a plan/story/food]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cook up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He decided to cook up a full English breakfast.
- They cooked up a rather dubious alibi for the meeting.
American English
- Let's cook up some burgers on the grill.
- The suspects cooked up a fake story to tell the police.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Could be used informally to describe hastily devising a business proposal or excuse.
Academic
Very rare, except in informal discussions.
Everyday
Common in informal contexts for both cooking food and inventing stories/plans.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cook up”
- Using it in formal contexts. Using the figurative sense with a positive connotation (e.g., 'cook up a brilliant solution' is possible but slightly informal and can sound suspicious). Confusing 'cook up' with 'cook the books' (which means to falsify financial records).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, its literal meaning ('cook up a meal') is neutral. The figurative meaning is often, but not always, negative, implying something is false or deceitful. It can be neutral in contexts like 'cook up an idea,' though it remains informal.
They are very close synonyms in the figurative sense ('invent/fabricate'). 'Cook up' is more informal and can imply more active, devious contrivance. 'Make up' (a story) is more general and common.
Yes, it's a separable phrasal verb. E.g., 'He cooked a story up' or 'He cooked up a story.' Both are correct, though the non-separated form is more common.
Yes, but it's informal and usually means a social event with cooked food (e.g., 'a charity cook-up'). It is not commonly used for the figurative 'invention' meaning.
To prepare food by heating it.
Cook up is usually informal in register.
Cook up: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkʊk ˈʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkʊk ˈʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Cook up a storm (meaning: cook a lot of food energetically).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a chef in a kitchen 'cooking up' a new dish (literal). Now think of a person's mind as a kitchen where they 'cook up' a false story (figurative).
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A KITCHEN (Ideas/plans are food that is prepared).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'cook up' used in a NEGATIVE or SUSPICIOUS way?