big up

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English

Pronunciation

  • Audio (AU)(file)

Verb

big up (third-person singular simple present bigs up, present participle bigging up, simple past and past participle bigged up or (rare) big upped)

  1. (transitive, informal) To increase one's muscle mass.
    • 2007, David Handler, The Bright Silver Star: A Berger and Mitry Mystery:
      She was bigged up—had a weight-lifter's rippling arms.
  2. (informal) To become big.
    • 2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, page 83:
      Relatively simple multicellular forms had already existed for a hundred million years when the Cambrian began: the explosion had a long fuse, and during this earlier fizzling life experimented with various ways to big up.
  3. (slang, transitive) To proclaim or exaggerate the importance of; to promote.
    I want to big up my bro on the mic.
    They're trying to big themselves up to be more than they are.
    • 2007, Apple announces new mobile phone, BBC Online, 9 January 2007
      In a keynote speech, attended by over 2,000 people, Steve Jobs spent the first 10 minutes bigging up the move to Intel chips.
    • 2017, Daniel Tammet, Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing, →ISBN, page 162:
      Some say of me, "There's Adrian again in the media, bigging himself up.
    • 2022 August 24, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: the Cotswold Line”, in RAIL, number 964, page 61:
      Bradshaw bigs up local trades: "Agricultural produce, good cider and perry (which require a little brandy to qualify them), wool, hops, and prime cattle, - the last being a splendid breed, white-faced, with soft reddish-brown coats. [...]."

Synonyms

Noun

big up (plural big ups)

  1. (slang, also big ups) Significant respect or acclaim.
    I want to give a big up to my bro on the mic.

Synonyms

See also

Jamaican Creole

Etymology

From English big.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɪɡ(h)ʌp/
  • Hyphenation: big‧up

Verb

big up

  1. (imperative, reflexive) To be thought of as praiseworthy by someone else ; to have someone's respect. (display of affection or praise)
    Me just want to say big up yourself, General.
    I'd just like to say that you have my respect, Sir.
    • 2010, Ardenne High Grade 13 (class of 2010), Ardenne High Grade 13 Year book 2010, page 18:
      “Yuh kno seh a bear tings a go gwaan from wi touch six form. Big up wi teacha dem […] ”
      You knew that we were going to get up to a lot of stuff once we entered 13th grade. Teachers, we respect you
  2. good to see you; nice to see you (greeting)
    Big up yuhself!
    Nice to see you (again)!
  3. praise, commend (praise)
    Big up Miss Lou!
    Let's praise Miss Lou!

Alternative forms

Related terms

References

  • big up – jamaicans.com Jamaican Patois dictionary
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