Improving or Strengthening: English Vocabulary List

to praise someone or something a lot and make them seem better than they actually are

"He bigs up his favorite football team."

"The rapper likes to big up his hometown in his songs by mentioning famous landmarks and local slang."

to practice and improve skills or knowledge that one has learned in the past

"Brush up your skills before the exam."

"I need to brush up on my Spanish before my trip to Mexico because I have not spoken it in years."

to make something more interesting, exciting, or lively by adding enhancements or creative elements

"Jazz up the bland meal with spices."

"She used some colorful pillows and a new rug to jazz up her boring living room without spending too much money."

to show courage and strength in a difficult situation

"Man up and face your fears."

"His father told him to man up and face the consequences of his actions instead of crying about them."

to improve something until it reaches a high level of quality or completeness

"Polish up your shoes for the interview."

"You should polish up your resume before sending it to potential employers because small mistakes can make a bad impression."

to prevent a building or a part of it from falling, by putting large pieces of wood or metal under or against it

"We need to shore up the foundation."

"The government injected money into the struggling bank to shore up its finances and prevent it from collapsing completely."

to provide someone with the skills necessary to perform a specific job or task effectively

"Skill up through online courses regularly."

"The company offers free online courses to help employees skill up and learn new technologies that are relevant to their jobs."

to make minor improvements or fixes to something, usually by adding a small amount of additional material

"Touch up your makeup before leaving."

"The bride needed to touch up her lipstick before walking down the aisle for the wedding ceremony."

to become stronger and better at handling difficulties

"Toughen up before the challenging hike."

"The drill sergeant tried to toughen up the new recruits by making them run long distances and do difficult physical exercises."

to improve or raise something to a higher standard or level

"Let's level up."

"This new software update will significantly level up the performance and capabilities of your device."

to be promoted to a better position or job in life

"He will move up."

"With consistent hard work and dedication, she was able to move up quickly in the corporate hierarchy."

to make something more exciting by adding variety or creativity

"Spice up the conversation with jokes."

"The chef added some chili flakes to spice up the bland sauce and give it a little kick of heat."