to slick up
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
arreglarse
- Before the big meeting, she decided to slick up her hair and put on her best outfit.
I'm taking the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze and using this to really slick up the brows.
- I'm taking the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze and using this to really slick up the brows.
- I love slicking up my brows, as you guys know, so let's see how this goes.
Examples
-
I love slicking up my brows, as you guys know, so let's see how this goes.
-
I'm taking the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze and using this to really slick up the brows.
-
And then I'm going to use my elf brow lift and use this to really slick up and set the brows in.
-
He always takes time to slick up his appearance before going out with friends.
-
To impress her date, she made sure to slick up her makeup and choose a stylish dress.
Synonyms
56
3.4
Make something look nicer or more attractive for a special event
26
4.1
To make a place or person look neat and smart
13
3.8
To make yourself or a place look cleaner and nicer
12
2.9
Make something look better than it really is
11
5.7
To be well dressed and neat
8
8.7
Make something or someone look fancier by adding decorations
8
7.2
To get ready by fixing your clothes, hair, or makeup carefully
7
3.9
Make yourself look attractive by dressing and doing your hair or makeup
6
4.3
Make people and places look nicer by dressing up, adding decorations, or using makeup
5
8.6
To dress or decorate in a fancy way to look nicer
4
3.7
To dress in special clothes to look different or attractive
3
3.9
To make someone or something look neater and more attractive
1
7.2
To dress up and make yourself look attractive for a special event
1
7.2
Make a person or place look neater and nicer by cleaning and adding small things
1
6.8
Make yourself or someone more stylish using clothes and makeup
1
4.8
Make yourself or a place look neater and more stylish
To make a place or yourself neat and look nicer
To make something or yourself look neat and attractive
To make a person or thing look fancy, often in a showy way
Make something look more stylish and attractive
To put on special clothes to look nice for an event
To make someone or something look fancier to impress people
To put on special clothes to look attractive for an event
To put on fancy clothes to look good
To dress neatly and formally for an event
Antonyms
How Neat
1
7.0
- Informal
- Informal
1
4.8
- Informal
13
3.8
42
1.0
114
2.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to make someone or something look neat or smart' follows directly from combining 'slick' (to make smooth, shiny, or neat) with the particle 'up' (which commonly signals completion/intensification or 'make into a state' as in 'clean up' or 'dress up'). This verb+particle compositional pattern is frequent and predictable in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrasal verb slick up comes from the image of smoothing hair or clothes with oil or gel. To slick something up means to smooth it down and make it shiny, so the phrase now means 'to make yourself look neat or smart'.