1 B1 idiomatic informal
To prepare food or a dish quickly.
"She whipped up a batch of pancakes before the children woke up."
separable
whip up
B1 informal separable transitive
To prepare food quickly, or to arouse strong emotions or enthusiasm in a group of people.
In plain English
To make food fast, or to make people feel very excited or angry very quickly.
What does "whip up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To excite or stir strong emotions, enthusiasm, or anger in a person or group.
"The politician whipped up the crowd with promises of change and prosperity."
“
He could whip up a crowd like no one I'd ever seen.
— Barack Obama, referencing Jesse Jackson, Dreams from My Father (1995)
separable
3 B2 neutral
When weather develops rapidly and becomes violent (used of wind, storms, or waves).
"The wind whipped up suddenly, sending dust and leaves swirling across the street."
inseparable
4 B1 idiomatic informal
To create or produce something quickly, especially a document or creative work.
"Can you whip up a quick sketch of the layout before the meeting?"
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To beat or mix ingredients upward rapidly, as one does with a whisk.
Actually means
To make food fast, or to make people feel very excited or angry very quickly.
Usage tip
Two main uses: culinary (prepare food quickly) and figurative (incite emotion in a crowd). The figurative sense can carry negative connotations when referring to anger or panic. Common in both British and American English.
Words that pair with "whip up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meal frenzy enthusiasm support crowd storm
How to conjugate "whip up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
whip up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
whips up
he/she/it
Past simple
whiped up
yesterday
Past participle
whiped up
have + pp
-ing form
whiping up
continuous
Hear "whip up" in the wild
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Other ways to say "whip up"
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Keep exploring
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