amp

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈamp 

plural amps

1

: ampere

It has a peak current of 800 amps, which make it powerful enough to jumpstart a gas engine of up to 7 liters …

—Max McHone

2

: amplifier

also : a unit consisting of an electronic amplifier and a loudspeaker

… just by changing pickups on your guitar, volume on the amp and tone settings, and the way you use your fingers, you can get a completely different tone.

—Peter Buck, quoted at salon.com

amp

2 of 3

verb

amped; amping; amps

transitive verb

1

informal : to make (someone) more excited or energetic : excite, energize

Players either get amped by the electricity of the event or founder in the ambient chaos.

—L. Jon Wertheim

—often used with up

… Bieber … pumped his fist to amp up the crowd …

—Melissa Ruggieri

2

: to make (something) more intense : heighten, intensify

The violence is amped by the presence of automatic weapons and gyrating camerawork, but it all feels very familiar.

—Kevin Crust

—usually used with up

The fledgling studio that wound up making the film … knew that it had teenage girls in its pocket, and wisely amped up the action scenes in the trailer in an attempt to snag male viewers as well.

—Karen Valby

Roasting the pork at a low temperature in a spiced salt mixture amps up the flavor of the meat and makes it extra-tender.

—Gabrielle Hamilton

3

: to increase the amount of (something) : raise

In this convention year … the stakes have been amped.

—Charles McGrath

—usually used with up

As investors get used to steady returns, they start borrowing to amp up gains … and buying increasingly dubious stuff …

—Pat Regnier

… the producers always need to amp up the stakes, and, this season, there are a few new twists …

—Andy Edelstein

see also amped entry 1, amped-up

AMP

3 of 3

noun (2)

ˌā-ˌem-ˈpē 

: a nucleotide C₁₀H₁₄N₅O₇P composed of adenosine and one phosphate group that is reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP in metabolic reactions

called also adenosine monophosphate, adenylic acid

compare cyclic amp

Synonyms of amp

Verb

• stimulate
• zip (up)
• jazz (up)

Examples of amp in a Sentence

Noun (1)

He plugged his guitar into the amp.

Verb

an important news story that doesn't need to be amped up with sensationalism

inflammatory rhetoric that served only to amp up the civil unrest that was overspreading the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The awards format proved to be attractive to corporate sponsors, with companies like Meta’s Threads and amp maker Marshall backing the event. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Because the bikes can plug into a standard 10-amp socket, Lovstrom said, stations can be built around relatively small solar and battery systems. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Verb

The adrenaline that you get filled up with, especially pitching here in Fenway Park, the fans and the environment alone, just amp you up. — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

In San Jose, this historic restaurant-beer hall amps up its year-round German fare — think Schnitzel and Sauerbraten — with Oktoberfest music on several nights from now through the end of October. — Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening

Verb

short for amplify; in sense 1 perhaps also taken as short for amphetamine

Noun (2)

adenosine monophosphate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1985, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1943, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing amp

• amp hour
• amp hr
• pre-amp

Rhymes for amp

• champ
• clamp
• cramp
• damp
• gamp
• lamp
• ramp
• samp
• scamp
• stamp
• tamp
• tramp

Kids Definition

amp

noun

ˈamp

1

: ampere

2

: amplifier

Medical Definition

amp

1 of 2 abbreviation

1

amperage

2

ampere

3

ampule

4

amputation

AMP

2 of 2 noun

ˌā-ˌem-ˈpē 

: a nucleotide C₁₀H₁₂N₅O₃H₂PO₄ that is composed of adenosine and one phosphate group and is reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP in metabolic reactions

called also adenosine monophosphate

compare cyclic amp