drum up
B2Informal, used in both spoken and written contexts, common in journalism and business.
Definition
Meaning
To actively and energetically try to obtain or create something, especially support, interest, or business.
To generate or summon through persistent effort, publicity, or persuasion; often implies an element of promotion or revival of something that is lacking.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Phrasal verb, separable. Often used with objects like 'support', 'business', 'interest', 'enthusiasm'. Connotes proactive effort and sometimes a degree of artificiality or difficulty in generating the desired result.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. Slightly more common in American business/political contexts.
Connotations
Similar in both: positive or neutral regarding the effort, but can carry a slight nuance of creating something from nothing or exaggerating interest.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties; well-established and common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] drums up [Object (support/business)][Subject] is trying to drum [Object] upVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “beat the drum for (related in promotional sense)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The marketing team is launching a campaign to drum up new leads.'
Academic
Rare; might appear in political/social science texts: 'The movement drummed up popular backing for the reforms.'
Everyday
'Let's have a party to drum up some enthusiasm for the project.'
Technical
Not typically used in technical fields.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The candidate toured the constituency to drum up votes.
- We need to drum up more trade for the local high street.
American English
- The company is offering discounts to drum up business.
- She's trying to drum up interest for the charity run.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop had a sale to drum up customers.
- They posted on social media to drum up interest in the event.
- Despite their efforts, they couldn't drum up enough support for the proposal.
- The politician's cross-country tour was a transparent attempt to drum up grassroots enthusiasm for a faltering campaign.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a town crier beating a DRUM to gather (UP) a crowd—actively summoning people's attention and support.
Conceptual Metaphor
GENERATING INTEREST IS BEATING A DRUM (to summon or announce).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation (бить в барабан). Common equivalents: 'найти/привлечь (клиентов)', 'создать (интерес)', 'заручиться (поддержкой)'.
- The phrase implies active effort, not passive receiving.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He drummed up a new idea.' (Use 'came up with'). Correct: 'He drummed up support for his new idea.'
- Incorrect preposition: 'drum up for support' (omit 'for').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST synonym for 'drum up' in the sentence: 'We need to drum up more participants for the workshop.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is informal but acceptable in many professional contexts like business and journalism. It would be avoided in very formal academic or legal writing.
Typically no. It is used for things one actively wants to generate, like support or interest. For negative reactions, words like 'incite', 'provoke', or 'stir up' (which can be negative) are more common.
Overwhelmingly yes. It collocates with abstract nouns like support, interest, business. It is not used for physical objects (e.g., you don't 'drum up a chair').
It originates from the military practice of beating a drum to summon soldiers to assemble, which was then figuratively extended to mean gathering or summoning anything through active effort.