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

• charge
• electrify
• excite
• exhilarate
• galvanize
• intoxicate
• thrill
• titillate
• turn on

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

After stealing Game 1, normally, the Warriors would have been pumped up. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025

We’re all pumped up and ready to give it our all for this album and performance. —Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 7 May 2025

Trump's plan aims for steep cuts to child care, disease research, renewable energy and peacekeeping abroad, many already underway through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, all while pumping up billions for the administration's mass deportations agenda. —Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025

October 1, 2023 Texas fans are pumped up to see Worthy go up against Barron when the AFC West rivals play. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2025

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