spruce up — to make oneself or something look tidier, smarter, or more attractive
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make oneself or something look tidier, smarter, or more attractive
Pronunciation (IPA): /spruːs ʌp/
Example Sentences
- The company spruced up its website before the product launch.
- My grandmother always tells me to spruce up when I visit her neighbors.
- He tried to spruce up his dating profile with pictures of himself with tigers.
spruce up
VERB[/spruːs ʌp/]
to make oneself or something look tidier, smarter, or more attractive
She decided to spruce up her tiny apartment before the housewarming party.
Loose up, juice up, then spruce up!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Spruce derives from Middle English, originally referring to the spruce tree (a type of conifer). The term evolved in the 16th century from 'Prussian' (Pruce/Spruce), as the wood was imported from Prussia. The association with Prussian orderliness and neatness led to the adjective sense of 'neat' or 'smartly dressed', which then developed the verb form 'spruce up' meaning to make neat or tidy.
Breakdown
Spruce (from Prussia, later 'neat') + up (to completion or improvement), forming a phrasal verb meaning to tidy or smarten something.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The company spruced up its website before the product launch.”
“My grandmother always tells me to spruce up when I visit her neighbors.”
“He tried to spruce up his dating profile with pictures of himself with tigers.”
“The restaurant spruced up its menu with fancy French names nobody could pronounce.”
📚Related Words
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