1 B2 idiomatic informal
To greedily take or use all of something, preventing others from having their fair share.
"That video call is hogging up all our internet bandwidth — can you pause it?"
separable
hog up
B2 informal separable transitive
To take or use too much of something selfishly, leaving little for others.
In plain English
To grab or use too much of something so other people don't get any.
What does "hog up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
Like a hog (pig) eating everything up — the image of a greedy pig consuming everything is the source.
Actually means
To grab or use too much of something so other people don't get any.
Usage tip
Informal and somewhat slangy. The base verb 'hog' (to greedily take more than one's share) is common; 'up' intensifies the sense of complete consumption. Used for space, bandwidth, resources, attention, time, and food.
Words that pair with "hog up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
bandwidth space resources bathroom food attention time
How to conjugate "hog up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hog up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hogs up
he/she/it
Past simple
hoged up
yesterday
Past participle
hoged up
have + pp
-ing form
hoging up
continuous
Hear "hog up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hog 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.