1 C1 informal
To dress oneself smartly or make oneself look neat and presentable.
"They all diked up for the wedding and looked very smart."
separable
dike up
C1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To dress smartly or tidy oneself up (British regional dialect, chiefly Northern English).
In plain English
To put on your best clothes and make yourself look nice.
What does "dike up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Possibly derived from wearing or arranging a decorative garment (dike/dyke).
Actually means
To put on your best clothes and make yourself look nice.
Usage tip
Rare and highly regional; associated with Northern England dialects. Derived from 'dike' or 'dyke' in the sense of a fine garment or decoration. Not understood in most English-speaking contexts outside the region.
Words that pair with "dike up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
yourself outfit clothes appearance
How to conjugate "dike up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dike up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dikes up
he/she/it
Past simple
diked up
yesterday
Past participle
diked up
have + pp
-ing form
diking up
continuous
Hear "dike up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "dike up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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