to vamp

Examples

• All

• "The trio vamped her on, and she launched into a frenetic version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

  Fiction book (1990)

• And I feel like I need to vamp up the blush a little bit.

• Could you just sort of vamp a minute?

  8 Million Ways to Die (1986)

• Come on, I'll vamp until ready.

  The Broadway Melody (1929)

• I can vamp my way through a tune.

  Fiction book (1994)

• So if you can just vamp until I do the eye-roll.

  Raising Buchanan (2019)

• I'll vamp till you're ready.

  The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938)

• I've been vamping here for twenty minutes.

  Fiction book (1994)

• I begin the study of this piece by vamping on its first two chords, C-major 7th and F-major 7th, in a moderate tempo, without telling students where the chords come from.

  Academic text (2011)

• During the performance, the singer had to vamp while the band adjusted their instruments.

Synonyms

R

to reinvent

vsto vamp

102 4.3

Make a thing or person look new and work better

focuses on quick renewal or improvisation rather than complete transformation

V

to vamp up

vsto vamp

• Informal

8.7

To quickly make up a story or plan to explain something

aims to give real new life rather than produce a superficial fix

Phrasal Verbs

V

to vamp up

• Informal

8.1

To make something more attractive by adding new parts

V

to vamp up

• Informal

8.7

To quickly make up a story or plan to explain something

How Renewed

to rebuild

485 2.8

to revamp

41 4.9

to vamp

1 8.1

to modify

268 3.2

to touch up

8 3.8

Surface Forms

Etymology