doctor up

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

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To falsify, or modify something, so that it appears to be better than it is.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm cho tốt hơn vẻ bề ngoài

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

A good way to doctor up a basic cake mix is by adding lemon zest, or coffee.

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).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

To train medical students.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Không chính xác, doctor up thường có nghĩa là làm cho cái gì đó trở nên tốt hơn hoặc hấp dẫn hơn.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

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

Common questions

What does “doctor up” mean?

To falsify, or modify something, so that it appears to be better than it is.

Is “doctor up” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.