pump up

verb

pumped up; pumping up; pumps up

transitive verb

1

a

: to fill with enthusiasm or excitement

b

: to fill with or as if with air : inflate

2

: increase sense 1

Synonyms of pump up

• thrill
• excite
• turn on
• electrify

Examples of pump up in a Sentence

the crowd was pumped up by the band's rocking performance

that pop diva is trying to pump up album sales with an extended publicity tour

Recent Examples on the Web

When showing a complex picture with many different hues next to each other, though, pumping up the output of individual LED colors can cause the edges of those hues to tint and warp. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 17 Aug. 2026

And that’s quite clear today, as the internet is awash with advice about what to eat, wear, pump up and slim down. — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026

That number never appeared in the budget, but legislators immediately pumped up spending. — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2026

Naturally, any top executive is going to do their best to downplay any failures and pump up whatever comes next. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pump up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup