vamp up
Make something more exciting and dramatic, or make up music as you go.
Meanings
To make something more dramatic, exciting, or seductively appealing.
"The director told the cast to vamp up their entrance to make it more theatrical."
In music: to improvise or add a repeated harmonic accompaniment.
"The pianist vamped up a few bars while the singer adjusted her microphone."
Two distinct senses: one in general usage (to enliven or make more dramatic, often with a seductive edge), and one in music (to vamp — play a repeated chord sequence as an improvised accompaniment). Not extremely common; 'jazz up' or 'spice up' are more frequent equivalents for the non-musical sense.
Commonly used with
Forms
Understand "vamp up" better
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Synonyms
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "vamp up" on Looplines