spruce up

verb

spruced up; sprucing up; spruces up

: to make (someone or something) look cleaner, neater, or more attractive

We spruced up the room with a fresh coat of paint.

I need to spruce myself up a bit before we go out to dinner.

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 spruce up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spooky Season is on its way — and Worlds of Fun has spruced up its annual attraction. — Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026

Ornamental grasses are a wonderful way to spruce up your lawn or add some softness and movement to your garden. — Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026

Across the daytime and evening sessions, expect skin assessments, mini-manis, opportunities to spruce up your hairstyle with our favorites in the industry. — Jennet Jusu, Allure, 10 Sep. 2026

The 325-square-foot tent is expected to return for the 2027 season, adding Urban Cowboy Lodge’s very specific take on Western Americana to Collective’s existing collection of simple yet spruced up canvas tents and suites. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for spruce up

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