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Glite Dictionary
✨ To make nicer 💵 A small reward 💵 To give a bonus
to spiff

to spiff

3 8.0
To make something look neater and more attractive with small changes
  • verb
  • /spɪf/
  • Informal
translation icon : embellecer
  • She decided to spiff up her living room with some new cushions and artwork.
  • get this mess spiffed
  • look all spiffed
  • needs spiffing

Examples

  • So about a week before Norah was born, I spiffed up the bedroom.

    Blog text (25)

  • - Hey, don't you look all spiffed up!

    The Newton Boys (1998)

  • But we can spiff it up a little.

    White Bird (2023)

  • But l'm gonna need a second to spiff up.

    In a World... (2013)

  • "And I want everyone sort of spiffed up before breakfast," she said.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • During this closure, we will be making repairs and "spiffing" up the place.

    Blog text (5)

  • - Kind of spiffed up, aren't you?

    Tammy (2014)

  • Say, Tod, while we're on, why don't you spiff up those bowls a bit?

    The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)

  • I'd tried to spiff it up with homemade lace curtains and lots of fresh potpourri.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "I'd better get this mess spiffed up for the FAA inspection."

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

to straighten
vsto spiff
161 1.6

Make a place or things tidy and in order

is about tidying rather than improving appearance with small enhancements
to tweak
vsto spiff
81 3.8

To make small changes to improve something

applies to visual neatness specifically, not general technical fine tuning
to spruce
vsto spiff
  • Informal
26 4.1

To make a place or person look neat and smart

uses small touches for attractiveness rather than full style change
to polish
vsto spiff
22 4.1

To make something better by small changes

leans more toward refining quality than just making things look neater
to spruce up
vsto spiff
  • Informal
13 3.8

To make yourself or a place look cleaner and nicer

focuses on small added improvements rather than full renovation
to touch up
vsto spiff
8 3.8

Make small changes to something to improve how it looks

focuses on minor surface fixes rather than major redesigns
to retouch
vsto spiff
8 4.2

To make small changes to the look of hair or a photo

aims at tiny cosmetic fixes rather than general cleaning or tidying
to freshen up
vsto spiff
  • Informal
4 3.0

Make a room look cleaner and nicer with small changes

stresses freshening overall rather than adding neat small decorative touches
to smarten
vsto spiff
3 3.9

To make someone or something look neater and more attractive

focuses on small tidy or style improvements rather than deep redesign
to restyle
vsto spiff
2 3.9

To change the style of something, for example hair or clothes

is more about larger design changes rather than small tidy improvements
to spiff up
vsto spiff
  • Informal
1 7.2

Make a person or place look neater and nicer by cleaning and adding small things

is the base verb form rather than the phrasal variant
to neaten
vsto spiff
1 3.7

To make something tidy by arranging things in order

means tidying specifically, not adding attractive decorative improvements
to pretty
vsto spiff
  • Informal
1 5.7

Make something look nicer by adding decorations

focuses on decoration and pleasant look rather than tidy practical neatness
to prettify
vsto spiff
1 5.0

Make something look more attractive, often only on the surface

does small attractive additions but also implies decorative excess rather than neatness
to buff up
vsto spiff
  • Informal
1 5.8

To make something better in how it works or how it looks

often implies polishing quality, not only small neat visual fixes
to smarten up
vsto spiff
  • Informal
1 4.8

Make yourself or a place look neater and more stylish

is the same action but often applied to people rather than objects
to smooth out the rough edges
vsto spiff
  • Informal
1 4.4

To make something better by fixing small problems

is more about fixing problems than making things cleaner or neater
to relook
vsto spiff
5.1

To change the appearance or design to make it more modern

suggests broader redesign and modernization rather than light tidy improvements

Antonyms

to neglect
256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

Phrasal Verbs

to spiff up
  • Informal
1 7.2

Make a person or place look neater and nicer by cleaning and adding small things

How Neat

to tidy
42 1.0
to spiff
  • Informal
3 8.0
to smarten up
  • Informal
1 4.8

Surface Forms

spiff infinitive
spiffed past
spiffed past participle
spiffing present participle
spiffs third person singular

Etymology

Spiff meaning 'make neat' comes from the old word spiffy, which means 'smart' or 'well dressed'. So to spiff something is to make it look smarter or more attractive.