1 C1 neutral
(Culinary) To add large quantities of lard or fat to food in cooking.
"The old recipe called for the chicken to be larded up before roasting to keep it moist."
separable
lard up
C1 informal separable transitive
To add too much fat, grease, or excessive material to something; figuratively, to make a text or speech excessively padded with unnecessary words or content.
In plain English
To stuff something with too much of a rich ingredient, or to make writing/speech heavy and padded with too many words.
What does "lard up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
(Figurative) To make writing, a speech, or any content excessively heavy with unnecessary words, references, or elaborate vocabulary.
"His essays were larded up with Latin quotations that added nothing to the argument."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To add lard (animal fat) in large quantities — extends figuratively to loading anything excessively.
Actually means
To stuff something with too much of a rich ingredient, or to make writing/speech heavy and padded with too many words.
Usage tip
Has both a culinary and figurative sense. In cooking, it means to add a lot of lard or fat. Figuratively, it is used critically of writing or speech that is over-loaded with complex vocabulary, excessive adjectives, or unnecessary content. The figurative sense is more common in modern usage.
Words that pair with "lard up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
prose speech text writing recipe dish
How to conjugate "lard up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
lard up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lards up
he/she/it
Past simple
larded up
yesterday
Past participle
larded up
have + pp
-ing form
larding up
continuous
Hear "lard up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "lard 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.