spiff

verb

spiffed; spiffing; spiffs
: spruce
usually used with up
spiff up your wardrobe
spiffed-up adjective

Did you know?

titivate, spruce up, smarten up, or spiff up?

Titivate, spruce, smarten, and spiff all mean "to make a person or thing neater or more attractive." Titivate often refers to making small additions or alterations in attire ("titivate the costume with sequins and other accessories"), but it can also be used figuratively (as in "titivating the script for Broadway"). Spruce up is sometimes used for cosmetic changes or renovations that give the appearance of newness ("spruce up the house with new shutters and fresh paint before trying to sell it"). Smarten up and spiff up both mean to improve in appearance often by making more neat or stylish ("the tailor smartened up the suit with minor alterations"; "he needed some time to spiff himself up for the party"). The origins of titivate are uncertain, but it may have been formed from the English words tidy and renovate.

Examples of spiff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The new owners earmarked $2 million out of a $7 million initial renovation spend to spiff up the shoreline-hugging Ocean Point Golf Course. Mike Dojc, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Until Kelly is fired off the car business and commissioned by the Nixon administration (via a shadowy CIA-type figure played by Woody Harrelson) to bring her advertising smarts to NASA to spiff up its public image before a divided America. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 July 2024 The retailer has thousands of cargo pants, midi dresses, and blazers to spiff up your closet with finds inspired by the Princess of Wales. Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023 In late 1986, a book publisher — Harcourt Brace Jovanovich — bought Marineland, pledging to keep it going and even spiff it up. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for spiff 

Word History

Etymology

English dialect spiff dandified

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spiff was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near spiff

Cite this Entry

“Spiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spiff. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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