juice up
C1/C2Informal, slang. Common in business, marketing, and casual contexts. Rare in formal writing.
Definition
Meaning
To make something more exciting, energetic, powerful, or appealing.
To stimulate, energize, or enhance something; to increase the power or intensity of something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Most commonly used as a phrasal verb. Can be applied to events, people, systems, or performances. Often implies a temporary or artificial enhancement.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more common in American English, but fully understood and used in British English.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries a modern, informal, sometimes slightly commercial or exaggerated tone.
Frequency
Higher frequency in US business and marketing jargon (e.g., 'juice up sales').
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + juice up + [Object]Let's + juice up + [Object]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Juice up the jam (rare, music context)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
We need to juice up our Q4 marketing campaign.
Academic
Rarely used; 'stimulate' or 'enhance' preferred.
Everyday
Let's juice up this party with some music.
Technical
The mechanic juiced up the engine's output.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The DJ juiced up the crowd with a classic tune.
- Can you juice up the meeting with some visuals?
American English
- We need to juice up our sales figures this quarter.
- He juiced up his resume with some impressive numbers.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Good music can juice up any party.
- The new manager's ideas really juiced up the project team.
- Investors are looking for strategies to juice up stagnant returns in a volatile market.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of adding juice (electricity or literal fruit juice) to something to give it more power and energy.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENERGY IS LIQUID / POWER IS FUEL.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation as "сок вверх". The concept is "зарядить энергией", "раскрутить", "оживить".
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal writing. Separating the verb and particle incorrectly (e.g., 'juice it up' is fine, but 'juice the party up' is less common).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'juice up' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is distinctly informal and considered slang. Use 'stimulate', 'enhance', or 'energize' in formal contexts.
Yes, you can 'juice up' a person or a group, meaning to make them more energetic or excited.
'Power up' is more literal for machines/devices (like charging). 'Juice up' is more figurative, often for events, moods, or business metrics.
Yes, it's a separable phrasal verb. You can say 'juice up the party' or 'juice the party up' (though the former is more common).