1 B2 informal
To drink a large amount of alcohol, especially to the point of being drunk.
"They liquored up before the party and arrived already in high spirits."
inseparable
liquor up
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To drink alcohol heavily; or to make someone drunk by giving them alcohol.
In plain English
To drink a lot of alcohol, or to get someone else drunk.
What does "liquor up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To give someone a large amount of alcohol, intentionally making them drunk.
"They liquored him up before breaking the bad news, thinking it would soften the blow."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fill up with liquor — transparent.
Actually means
To drink a lot of alcohol, or to get someone else drunk.
Usage tip
Chiefly North American informal speech. Can be used reflexively ('he liquored himself up') or transitively ('they liquored her up'). The transitive use with a person can imply manipulation or coercion and should be noted carefully. 'Likker up' is a dialectal spelling variant.
Words that pair with "liquor up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
crowd guests courage party night celebration
How to conjugate "liquor up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
liquor up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
liquors up
he/she/it
Past simple
liquored up
yesterday
Past participle
liquored up
have + pp
-ing form
liquoring up
continuous
Hear "liquor up" in the wild
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