embiggen

American  

[em-big-uhn] / ɛmˈbɪg ən /

verb (used with or without object)

Informal: Often Facetious.

1. to make or become bigger.

   You can spot my sister if you embiggen the photo.

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Etymology

Origin of embiggen

First recorded in 1880–85 as an example of a barbarism; made popular in 1996 in an episode of the TV show The Simpsons; em- ¹ ( def. ) + big ¹ ( def. ) + -en ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

But unlike comics Kamala, who develops the power to embiggen parts of her body through the Inhuman terrigenesis process, Ms. Marvel’s Kamala’s abilities are apparently more cosmic in nature and involve her making energy constructs.

From The Verge • Mar. 15, 2022

Cohen came up with the word for the season seven episode "Lisa the Iconoclast," where Ms. Hoover tells Mrs. Krabappel that the slightly less fictitious "embiggen" is a "perfectly cromulent" word.

From Salon • Sep. 13, 2021

It’s unclear when they plan to embiggen the database once again.

From Fox News • Mar. 11, 2021

Congrats to my friend, @dangreaney, the creator of "embiggen".

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2018

His is a noble spirit that could embiggen the smallest soul, and I know a great deal more about quartzite than I did before.

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2016