verb Street Slang

Big Up

/ˈbɪɡ ʌp/ · verb · slang

To praise, hype up, or give respect to someone — a shout-out, Jamaican style.

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Definitions

1

To boost or hype someone up, sometimes to inflate their ego.

“Stop big-upping him, his head's already too big.”
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2

To publicly praise, congratulate, or give credit to someone.

“Big up the whole crew for pulling this off.”
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3

Used as a salute or shout-out, often at the start or end of a message or set.

“Big up everyone tuning in tonight.”
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Big Up In A Sentence

Big up my mum, she held it down all year.
Massive big up to the DJ, that set was insane.
He always big up his bredren on every post.

Origin & Usage

Jamaican Patois that spread through dancehall and reggae sound-system culture, then into UK street slang and grime. Now common across British and Caribbean English.

Variants big up yourselfbigging upbig-up
Tags #caribbean#uk#music#aave

People Also Ask

What does 'big up' mean in texting?

It means giving someone praise or a shout-out, like saying 'respect' or 'props' to them.

Where did 'big up' come from?

It comes from Jamaican Patois and spread through reggae and dancehall sound-system culture into UK slang.

Is 'big up' positive?

Almost always — it's a way of celebrating or respecting someone, though it can be teasing when you say someone's been big-upped too much.

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