1 B1 neutral
to add spices or stronger flavor to food
"A little fresh ginger will spice up the soup."
both
spice up
B1 neutral both transitive
to make something more interesting, exciting, or flavorful
In plain English
to make something less boring and more fun or tasty
What does "spice up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
to make something more interesting, exciting, or lively
"We added some games to spice up the training session."
both
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
to add spices to something
Actually means
to make something less boring and more fun or tasty
Usage tip
Used literally for food and figuratively for stories, routines, lessons, relationships, and events.
Words that pair with "spice up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meal conversation relationship routine story lesson
How to conjugate "spice up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
spice up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
spices up
he/she/it
Past simple
spiced up
yesterday
Past participle
spiced up
have + pp
-ing form
spicing up
continuous
Hear "spice up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "spice up"
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Keep exploring
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