glow-up
noun
| GLOH-up
A striking transformation in a person’s appearance; a makeover, a coming-of-age
What does glow-up mean?
Glow-up is an informal term for a (perceived) dramatic positive change in someone or something’s physical appearance. The related verb, to glow up, refers to undergoing or causing such a change.
Also spelled glow up, glo-up, or glo up.
Examples of glow-up
Being the woman you needed as a girl is the ultimate glow-up.
—@cherylburke, Threads, 1 Dec. 2024
i’m startin a glo up thread, let’s see them before and now pics
—We went into this sort of talking about how the actors themselves have had their own “glow-up,” but in fact the show’s plot has mirrored it in a way. Act 1: grit. Act 2: glowing up. Act 3: glow up achieved.
—I’m going to teach you how to glow up. Because you’re not ugly, you just need to learn how to take better care of yourself.
—If you're in a temporary space or don't have significant capital to invest in beautifying your space, these seven ways to glow up your office are a great place to start.
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Where does glow-up come from?
The exact roots of glow-up are unclear. It appears to originate as a play on grow up (“mature”) and glow (“to be radiant”) or glory (“renown”), modeled on such formations as blowup.
The term emerged in the 2010s, with notable examples in African American English hip-hop lyrics. One prominent instance is found in rapper Chief Keef’s 2013 song, “Gotta Glo Up One Day,” which uses glo up to refer to gaining wealth and status. (The artist operated a record label named Glo Gang, reformed around this time from his previous Glory Gangz, suggesting his use of glo, at least, may be shortened from glory.) The spelling glo-up appears to be more common in African American English usage, strengthening the case the term originates with it.
By the late 2010s, glow-up spread online, often used in connection to an occasional social media trend where people (especially younger folk) shared pictures of how they looked before and after undergoing some significant maturation.
How is glow-up used?
People most use glow-up to remark on exceptional changes in their physical attractiveness and style (or that of others), especially with celebrities and other public figures. Before-and-after images demonstrating such changes often accompany use of the term on social media, where it’s also commonly used in content concerning cosmetic makeovers and self-care practices. While changes associated with glow-up are typically thought of as positive, the term is sometimes criticized for reinforcing problematic beauty standards.
The term is also frequently extended to other impressive transformations, particularly efforts to improve one’s confidence, skills, attitude, etc., or forms of redesign or remodeling, such as home renovations.
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