amp

noun (1)

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\ ˈamp

Definition of amp

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : ampere

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

amp

verb

amped; amping; amps

Definition of amp (Entry 2 of 3)

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.— Jon Wertheim —often used with up When Smith came out to accept her trophy, Bieber smothered her with kisses, and then 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 ValbyRoasting 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, amped-up

AMP

noun (2)

\ ˌā-ˌem-ˈpē

Definition of AMP (Entry 3 of 3)

: a nucleotide C₁₀H₁₂N₅O₃H₂PO₄ 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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about amp

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Examples of amp in a Sentence

Noun (1) He plugged his guitar into the amp.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Suction power is an important consideration when vacuuming a tile floor, so consumers should look for cordless models with the highest amp ratings. — Michael Pollick, chicagotribune.com, "The best vacuum for tile floors," 26 Mar. 2021 The front-facing, five-speaker complement includes two 4-inch woofers, each with its own 30 w Class D amplifier; two 0.8-inch tweeters driven by a 15 w Class D amplifier; and a 2-inch full-range transducer driven by a 30 w Class D amp. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, "Review: Here’s Why B&O’s Beosound Level Wireless Speaker Is Flat-Out Phenomenal," 25 Mar. 2021 Its range-topping McIntosh sound system includes 23 speakers, a 1375-watt amp and a 12-inch subwoofer—and, importantly for audio snobs, the cool blue McIntosh analog needle display. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "How 2022 Jeep Wagoneer Compares to Escalade, Navigator, GLS, and Others," 11 Mar. 2021 Michele Arnese, Founder & CEO at amp and world-leading expert in the field of sonic branding. — Michele Arnese, Forbes, "Progressive Marketers Increasingly Hear Their Brands As Well As See Them," 10 Mar. 2021 There’s even a preamp output stage for those people who might want to connect the Cyrus One Cast to a larger power amp. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, "The Cyrus One Cast Smart Amplifier Could Be The Answer To All Your Music Needs," 1 Mar. 2021 Featuring the classic shoebox design that’s common to all Cyrus audio products, this little amp can pump out 100W per channel thanks to its fourth-generation Class D hybrid circuitry and massive toroidal transformer. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes, "The Cyrus One Cast Smart Amplifier Could Be The Answer To All Your Music Needs," 1 Mar. 2021 Buy or scrounge amps, speakers and wires, and a plastic tool box for the amp. — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, "A Beginner’s Guide to Hunting the Spring Snow Goose Season," 22 Feb. 2021 Overhead smashing her guitar, again and again, on an amp at the edge of the stage. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, "Phoebe Bridgers, Rock God, Smashed Her Guitar on SNL Last Night," 7 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Before the pandemic, the farm’s leaders had been discussing how to amp up its eco-tourism programs. — New York Times, "In Hawaii, Reimagining Tourism for a Post-Pandemic World," 7 Mar. 2021 But in recent years, these firms have tried to amp up their presence in other markets. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, "Indian IT isn’t hung up on the H-1B visa," 4 Mar. 2021 Others rely on old-fashioned social pressure to get people to amp up their accessibility game. — Washington Post, "Social media has upped its accessibility game. But deaf creators say it has a long way to go.," 15 Mar. 2021 Producers have used interactions that happen off the show to amp up the drama since the beginning of the franchise, but the past several years have made contestants’ social-media accounts and public appearances into huge turning points in the show. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, "It Is Once Again Time to Call for Chris Harrison’s Retirement From The Bachelor," 22 Feb. 2021 But the degree of difficulty was much higher since crowds of fans weren’t allowed on the field to amp up the energy. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Super Bowl viewers were in good hands with Tony Romo’s analysis, and other thoughts," 9 Feb. 2021 To amp up the entertainment value, other competitors have incorporated props ranging from liquor bottles to samurai swords. — Richard Chin, Star Tribune, "Minnesota pizza dough thrower is one of the best in the world at 'pizza acrobatics'," 12 Jan. 2021 Netflix money helped amp up the global narrative, with shoots in Italy, Panama and Thailand. — Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, "What Netflix’s Lists of Top Foreign Movies and TV Series Say About American Taste," 10 Dec. 2020 Then, and only then, did Patricia amp up the pressure. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Matt Prater's bomb keeps Matt Patricia's Detroit Lions tenure alive another day," 15 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

31 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Amp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amp. Accessed 11 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for amp

amp

abbreviation

Medical Definition of amp

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 amperage

2 ampere

3 ampule

4 amputation

AMP

noun

\ ˌā-ˌem-ˈpē

Medical Definition of AMP (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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