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lard up

C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words

To stuff something with too much of a rich ingredient, or to make writing/speech heavy and padded with too many words.

Literal meaning: To add lard (animal fat) in large quantities — extends figuratively to loading anything excessively.

Meanings

1 C1 neutral

(Culinary) To add large quantities of lard or fat to food in cooking.

"The old recipe called for the chicken to be larded up before roasting to keep it moist."

Grammar: separable
2 C1 idiomatic informal

(Figurative) To make writing, a speech, or any content excessively heavy with unnecessary words, references, or elaborate vocabulary.

"His essays were larded up with Latin quotations that added nothing to the argument."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Has both a culinary and figurative sense. In cooking, it means to add a lot of lard or fat. Figuratively, it is used critically of writing or speech that is over-loaded with complex vocabulary, excessive adjectives, or unnecessary content. The figurative sense is more common in modern usage.

Commonly used with

prose speech text writing recipe dish

Forms

Base
lard up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lards up
he/she/it
Past simple
larded up
yesterday
Past participle
larded up
have + pp
-ing form
larding up
continuous

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