spruce up

Make more presentable

To spruce up is to make something neater, cleaner, or more attractive: She spruced up the living room before the guests arrived, He spruced himself up for the interview.

The phrase implies quick improvement rather than thorough renovation—tidying rather than transforming.

groom

tidy

Free from clutter

  • primpGroom oneself fastidiously
  • preenGroom with self-satisfaction
  • freshenTo restore liveliness

neaten · smarten · clean · comb · style · trim · shave · polish · brush · fluff

embellish

decorate

Add visual enhancements

dress up · accessorize · ornament · garnish · accent · trim · festoon · brighten · liven up · jazz up

renovate

remodel

Reconstruct or redesign

update · redecorate · repaint · overhaul · revamp · makeover · fix up · redo · recondition · facelift

Categories
Opposites
care and tidiness

spruce uplet go

Cease holding something

mess up · neglect · run down · trash · dirty up

effort and attention

spruce upneglect

Failure to provide care

abandon · let slide · ignore · disregard · leave alone

superficial refresh vs. fundamental transformation

spruce uprenovate

Restore to good condition

overhaul · rebuild · gut · remodel · reconstruct

Family

spruce, spruces, spruced, sprucing, sprucely

Familiarity
Top 50,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G