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Synonyms

soup up

British  

verb

  1. to modify (a vehicle or vehicle engine) in order to increase its power

  2. Also: hot up.   hop up.  to make (something) more exciting or interesting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (of a vehicle or vehicle engine) modified so as to be more powerful

    a souped-up scooter

  2. more exciting or interesting

    a souped-up version of their last single
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
soup up Idioms  

  1. Make something more powerful; especially, add speed to an engine. For example, He was riding around in that car he'd souped up, or They had to soup up the sound system for the outdoor concert. [Slang; c. 1930]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On top of that, once you embrace these brothy bowls, you’ll discover that many recipes are blueprints: You can creatively soup up all kinds of herbs, proteins and starches.

From Washington Post • Dec. 27, 2022

What made our grandfathers want to soup up their cars?

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2021

Rising global average temperatures can also soup up storms and lead to more intense rainfall in some regions.

From The Verge • Aug. 4, 2021

Analysts said the takeover of TSG would soup up Flutter’s efforts to conquer the US and could signal fresh consolidation in a sector that has already witnessed a succession of mergers.

From The Guardian • Oct. 2, 2019

Not being sure Miss Love knew how to tend the sick, she took some chicken soup up there for him.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.