English · Phrasal verb Attested

beef up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Làm mạnh mẽ hoặc tăng cường

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

We need to beef up security around the airport.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “beef up” mean?

To strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.

Is “beef up” formal or informal?

beef up is generally slang.