power-up

noun

A collectable item that gives the player some benefit.

“The fist power-up gives you a more powerful punch.”

Opposite
power-down
OriginJapanese パワーアップ →
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Meanings

nounpower-up (plural power-ups)

plural power-ups

  1. video gamesA collectable item that gives the player some benefit.

    The fist power-up gives you a more powerful punch.

    Antonyms: power-down

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA collectable item that gives the player some benefit.

Opposite
power-down

Origin

  1. Japaneseパワーアップ
  2. Englishpower-up

Calque of Japanese パワーアップ (pawā-appu), itself a wasei eigo (和製英語; pseudo-anglicism) derived from power + up.

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“power-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power-up. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

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

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