Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

beef up

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.29 in modern English

Syllables
beef up
IPA
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.

Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

Originally college slang, from beef (“muscle-power”).

Usage

Inflected Forms

beefs up (present, singular) beefing up (participle, present) beefed up (participle, past) beefed up (past)

Phrases

beefed out beefed up beef out

Frequently Paired Words

beef beefed out beefed up beef out beefy

Synonyms

strengthen fortify

Questions

What does beef up mean?
To strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.
Where does beef up come from?
Originally college slang, from beef (“muscle-power”).

How to pronounce beef up

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “beef up”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “beef up”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “beef up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.