spruce up . spruce up {v.}, {informal} To make clean or neat. Mary spruced up the house before her company came. John spruced himself up before he went out on his date. Categories: add yours {informal} {v.} Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms by A. Makkai, M.T. Boatner, J.E. Gates © 2025 To section: S Subscribe to: American IdiomsIdioms feedEnglish languageHome page and general feed Comment on this entry