pepper up

verb

To increase in energy; to excite (someone).

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Meanings

verbpepper up (third-person singular simple present peppers up, present participle peppering up, simple past and past participle peppered up)

present singular third person peppers up · participle present peppering up · participle past peppered up · past peppered up

  1. intransitiveslangtransitiveTo increase in energy; to excite (someone).
  2. informaltransitiveTo add pepper (black pepper or chilis) to (food); to spice up (food).
Cite this entry
APA

pepper up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pepper%20up

MLA

“pepper up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pepper%20up. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pepper up,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pepper%20up.

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