sex up
sex up — 慣用語
1. to present something as more lively or impressive than it really is, often by ad
加油添醋
誇大呈現以增加吸引力
to present something as more lively or impressive than it really is, often by adding exaggerated or invented details.
The journalist was accused of sexing up the report to boost sales.
那名記者被指控加油添醋地寫報導，以增加銷量。
commonly used in journalism/investigation contexts
Talia thought the trailer had sexed up the movie far beyond what it actually delivered.
Talia 覺得預告片把電影拍得比實際精彩太多了。
The government was criticised for sexing up the intelligence dossier before the war.
政府被批評在戰前誇飾情報檔案的真實性。
Adisa refused to sex up the financial report because the numbers should speak for themselves.
Adisa 拒絕誇飾財務報告，因為他認為數字會自己說話。
文法句型
sex + NP + up
sex up + NP
用法筆記
This sense (from Cambridge) carries a distinctly colloquial, informal register and a negative connotation of exaggeration or deception — you sex up a report by embellishing facts. It is the more critical or accusatory sense. Distinguish from the phrasal verb sense 2 (ENHANCE APPEAL, from Oxford), which describes a neutral or positive act of making something genuinely more attractive or interesting without implying dishonesty.
常見錯誤
sex up — 片語動詞
- sex upbase form
- sexes up3rd person singular
- sexing up-ing form
- sexed uppast simple
1. to make someone feel a stronger desire for sexual activity or physical closeness
激起情慾
使人產生性興奮或浪漫氛圍
to make someone feel a stronger desire for sexual activity or physical closeness, often by creating a romantic or sensual atmosphere.
Piotr tried to sex up the evening with dim lights and slow music.
Piotr 用昏黃的燈光和慢音樂試圖挑起情慾，讓夜晚充滿誘惑。
sex up + atmosphere or event for romantic/sexual mood
The director added candlelight and soft dialogue to sex up the mood.
導演加了燭光和輕柔對白，來撩起情慾、營造氣氛。
Jin laughed when a perfume ad tried to sex up a bottle of rose water.
Jin 看到一則香水廣告試圖把一瓶玫瑰水包裝得性感，不禁笑了出來。
The room was already lively, so Vivek saw no reason to sex it up.
房間氣氛已經很熱烈了，Vivek 覺得沒必要再煽情。
- turn off
to kill romantic or sexual mood
文法句型
sex + NP + up
sex up + NP
用法筆記
Object can be a person (sex someone up) or a situation (sex up the atmosphere). With a pronoun object, the particle must separate: sex it up, NOT *sex up it. This sense is distinct from the idiom/other PV senses because it directly involves sexual excitement, not just making something seem more appealing.
常見錯誤
2. to improve something by adding appealing features so that it becomes genuinely l
包裝；美化
改善外觀或內容以增加吸引力
to improve something by adding appealing features so that it becomes genuinely livelier and draws more positive attention.
The team sexed up the packaging with bright colours to attract younger buyers.
團隊用亮色重新包裝產品，以吸引年輕消費者。
sex up + packaging / design for broader appeal
Mei added photos and charts to sex up the report without losing its professional tone.
Mei 加了照片和圖表來美化報告，同時保持專業感。
The publisher asked the author to sex up the book cover so it stands out.
出版社請作者把封面設計得更搶眼，讓書能突顯出來。
Andrei sexed up his presentation by adding a short video clip.
Andrei 在簡報中加了一段短片，讓內容更有吸引力。
- dumb down
to make something simpler (usually with negative connotation)
- strip down
to remove features, making simpler or more basic
文法句型
sex + NP + up
sex up + NP
用法筆記
The most common sense of 'sex up' in everyday use. Less negative than the idiom sense — it can be a neutral positive description of making something look more appealing. Object is typically a thing (product, design, presentation, campaign), not a person.