Meaning & use
glow-up
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Meaning
nouncountableinformal
A major improvement in someone's appearance, confidence, or life, often noticed over time.
Grammar: Countable; usually singular. Often used with 'have' or 'get'.
Patterns
- have a glow-up
- get a glow-up
- someone's glow-up
After college, she had a real glow-up and now runs her own business.
His glow-up was obvious when he returned from his gap year.
The singer's glow-up from shy teenager to confident performer inspired fans.
Common combinations
- have a glow-up
- She had a glow-up after changing her hairstyle and wardrobe.
- get a glow-up
- He got a glow-up over the summer and returned to school unrecognizable.
- major glow-up
- The old building had a major glow-up and is now a trendy cafe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- transformation
- A general word for a big change; glow-up is informal and implies a positive, noticeable improvement.
- makeover
- A makeover usually refers to a change in appearance, while glow-up can also include confidence or lifestyle.
Opposites
Commonly confused: glow-up or glow up?
glow-up vs glow up
As a phrasal verb, 'glow up' means to improve or become more attractive. The noun is spelled with a hyphen: glow-up.
Practice
What does 'glow-up' typically describe?
Choose one answer.
A glow-up is a dramatic, positive change in someone's appearance, confidence, or life. The other options are negative or unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “glow-up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.