1 B1 neutral
To coat something or someone with grease or oil, often to reduce friction or prepare for an activity.
"Make sure you grease up the baking tin before pouring in the batter."
separable
grease up
B2 neutral separable transitive
To apply grease, oil, or a lubricant to something or someone; figuratively, to bribe or use money to smooth the way.
In plain English
To put grease or oil on something so it moves easily, or to bribe someone to get what you want.
What does "grease up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To bribe someone or use money to facilitate a process illegally or improperly.
"They had to grease up a few local officials to get the building permits approved."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To coat or lubricate with grease.
Actually means
To put grease or oil on something so it moves easily, or to bribe someone to get what you want.
Usage tip
The literal sense is common in mechanical, culinary, and sporting contexts (e.g. greasing a baking tin, a wrestler greasing up). The figurative bribery sense is informal and slightly dated. 'Grease someone's palm' is the more common fixed expression for bribery.
Words that pair with "grease up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
pan engine chain palm hinge skin
How to conjugate "grease up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
grease up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
greases up
he/she/it
Past simple
greased up
yesterday
Past participle
greased up
have + pp
-ing form
greasing up
continuous
Hear "grease up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "grease up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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