beef up

verb

To strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.

“We need to beef up security around the airport.”

Similar
strengthenfortify
First used 1941
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Meanings

verbbeef up (third-person singular simple present beefs up, present participle beefing up, simple past and past participle beefed up)

present singular third person beefs up · participle present beefing up · participle past beefed up · past beefed up

  1. slangtransitiveTo strengthen or reinforce; to add substance to.First known use 1941

    We need to beef up security around the airport.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbmake strong or stronger

Similar
strengthenfortify
Broader
changealtermodify
Also see
beeffortifystrengthen

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Originally college slang, from beef (“muscle-power”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

beef up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beef%20up

MLA

“beef up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beef%20up. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beef up,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beef%20up.

Source: beef up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.