To praise, promote, or show respect and admiration for someone or something.
To say great things about someone to make them look good or to give them credit.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To publicly praise, promote, or show admiration for someone or something.
"I want to big up my whole team — none of this would have happened without them."
Big up yourself.
— Common Jamaican Patois expression, widely used in Caribbean music and popularised globally through reggae and dancehall culture.
To exaggerate the importance or quality of something in order to promote it.
"The marketing team spent months bigging up the product before it was even released."
To make someone or something bigger (more important).
To say great things about someone to make them look good or to give them credit.
Originally from Jamaican Patois and strongly associated with hip-hop and urban culture. Now widely used in British English casual speech. Often used to acknowledge someone's achievements or to recommend them. 'Big up yourself' is a Caribbean expression of encouragement.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "big up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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