1 B2 informal
To cook a quantity of food on a barbecue, typically for a social gathering.
"We're going to barbecue up some ribs and corn for the Fourth of July party."
separable
barbecue up
B2 informal separable transitive
To prepare and cook food on a barbecue, often for a group.
In plain English
To cook food on a barbecue, usually for a lot of people.
What does "barbecue up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To prepare and get food ready for barbecuing.
"He barbecued up enough chicken wings to feed the whole neighbourhood."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Transparent — to cook (something) up on a barbecue.
Actually means
To cook food on a barbecue, usually for a lot of people.
Usage tip
Chiefly informal American English. The particle 'up' adds a sense of completion or readiness. More emphatic than simply 'barbecue'. Mostly used in casual speech.
Words that pair with "barbecue up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
burgers ribs chicken steaks sausages hot dogs
How to conjugate "barbecue up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
barbecue up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
barbecues up
he/she/it
Past simple
barbecued up
yesterday
Past participle
barbecued up
have + pp
-ing form
barbecuing up
continuous
Hear "barbecue up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "barbecue up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.