amped; amping; amps
1
informal
: to make (someone) more excited or energetic : excite, energize
Players either get amped by the electricity of the event or founder in the ambient chaos.—
Jon Wertheim
—often used with upJon WertheimWhen Smith came out to accept her trophy, Bieber smothered her with kisses, and then pumped his fist to amp up the crowd …—Melissa Ruggieri
Melissa Ruggieri2
: to make (something) more intense : heighten, intensify
The violence is amped by the presence of automatic weapons and gyrating camerawork, but it all feels very familiar.—Kevin Crust
—usually used with upKevin CrustThe fledgling studio that wound up making the film … knew that it had teenage girls in its pocket, and wisely amped up the action scenes in the trailer in an attempt to snag male viewers as well.—Karen Valby
Karen ValbyRoasting the pork at a low temperature in a spiced salt mixture amps up the flavor of the meat and makes it extra-tender.—Gabrielle Hamilton
Gabrielle Hamilton3
: to increase the amount of (something) : raise
In this convention year … the stakes have been amped.—Charles McGrath
—usually used with upCharles McGrathAs investors get used to steady returns, they start borrowing to amp up gains … and buying increasingly dubious stuff …—Pat Regnier
Pat Regnier… the producers always need to amp up the stakes, and, this season, there are a few new twists …—Andy Edelstein
see also amped, amped-up
Andy Edelstein
: a nucleotide C10H12N5O3H2PO4 composed of adenosine and one phosphate group that is reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP in metabolic reactions
called also adenosine monophosphate, adenylic acid
compare cyclic ampExamples of amp in a Sentence
Noun (1)
He plugged his guitar into the amp.
Verb
an important news story that doesn't need to be amped up with sensationalism
inflammatory rhetoric that served only to amp up the civil unrest that was overspreading the city
Recent Examples on the Web
Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The Responsive Air feature amps up the sleep quality by responding to movement throughout the night.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 May 2025
Meg Cunningham, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
The celebrations aim to amp up fans ahead of next year's World Cup and the MLB All-Star games in the city.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amp
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
This edition features several unique turntables, a new speaker system from Andover Audio, a TT-friendly streaming amp and the wristwatch for Technics SL-1200 fans.
—Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
The Responsive Air feature amps up the sleep quality by responding to movement throughout the night.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 May 2025
Verb
The state is also looking to amp up health care workforce recruitment and retention through training programs and loan repayment plans.
—Meg Cunningham, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
The celebrations aim to amp up fans ahead of next year's World Cup and the MLB All-Star games in the city.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for amp
Cite this Entry
“Amp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amp. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
amp
1 of 2 abbreviation1
amperage
2
ampere
3
ampule
4
amputation
AMP
2 of 2 noun
: a nucleotide C10H12N5O3H2PO4 that is composed of adenosine and one phosphate group and is reversibly convertible to ADP and ATP in metabolic reactions
called also adenosine monophosphate
compare cyclic ampLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share