spruce up
spruce up — phrasal verb
- spruce upbase form
- spruces up3rd person singular
- sprucing up-ing form
- spruced uppast simple
1. to clean and organise a room, house, garden, or other space so that it becomes t
to clean and organise a room, house, garden, or other space so that it becomes tidy and orderly.
Maja spent the whole morning sprucing up the kitchen before the dinner party.
spruce up + [place] for [event]
The old library was spruced up with fresh paint and new bookshelves last summer.
passive: be spruced up with [improvements]
Putri decided to spruce up her bedroom by rearranging the furniture and dusting every shelf.
Joon spruced up the garden shed, sweeping the floor and wiping down all the tools.
The hotel staff spruced up the lobby each evening before the guests came down.
- tidy up
more general — 'tidy up' can mean simply putting things in order, while 'spruce up' often implies a more thorough cleaning or improvement
- clean up
focuses on removing dirt rather than organising — 'spruce up' includes both cleaning and arranging
- straighten up
suggests putting things in their proper position, often with less effort than 'spruce up' implies
- mess up
to make a place dirty or untidy
文法句型
spruce up + [room/area]
spruce oneself/something up
用法筆記
Often used with 'with' to specify the method or materials used for the improvement (e.g. 'spruced up with fresh paint').
常見錯誤
2. to make a person or an object look more attractive, for example by putting on ni
to make a person or an object look more attractive, for example by putting on nicer clothes, adding decorations, or making small repairs or adjustments.
Jack spruced himself up in a clean shirt and tie for the job interview.
spruce oneself up for [occasion]
The restaurant spruced up its outdoor terrace with flower pots and fairy lights.
spruce up + [place] with [decorations]
Cyrus spruced up his old bicycle with a new seat and fresh paint.
Yasmin helped her brother spruce up for the concert, brushing his hair and straightening his collar.
Vinícius spruced up the shop window with a bright new display of summer clothes.
- smarten up
more common in British English; implies making someone or something look smarter and more presentable
- dress up
specifically about wearing nicer clothes — 'spruce up' can also include non-clothing improvements like fixing or decorating
- gussy up
informal American English; often implies making something fancy or flashy
- let oneself go
to stop caring about one's appearance
文法句型
spruce oneself up
spruce up + [thing] with [decoration/improvement]
用法筆記
When applied to people, this sense usually refers to dressing more formally or neatly, not to bathing or grooming for hygiene. The reflexive form ('spruce oneself up') is very common.