Cook up Meaning in English
expression
ˈkʊk/ /ˈəp
KUUK-UP
kˈʊk/ /ˈʌp
KUUK-UP
Definition
To quickly prepare food, or to invent a story, excuse, or plan, often in a dishonest way.
Usage & Nuances
Informal and often means inventing something (like a plan or excuse) with a hint of dishonesty. You can also use it literally for quickly making a meal. Common in phrases like 'cook up a story' or 'cook up a plan'. Rarely used formally.
Spanish: inventar - cocinar (rápidamente) - tramar (engaño)Portuguese (BR): inventar - preparar (rápido) - maquinar (um plano)Portuguese (PT): inventar - preparar (rapidamente) - engendrar (um plano)Chinese (Simplified): 编造 - 快速做饭Chinese (Traditional): 編造 - 快速做飯Hindi: गढ़ना - जल्दी बनाना (खाना)Arabic: اختلق - حضّر (طعام بسرعة)Bengali: তড়িঘড়ি কিছু রান্না করা - বানিয়ে বলা (কথা/গল্প/অজুহাত)Russian: быстро приготовить - выдумать (историю/отговорку/план)Japanese: さっと作る - でっちあげるVietnamese: nấu nhanh - bịa ra (câu chuyện/lý do/kế hoạch)Korean: 급히 만들다 - 꾸며내다Turkish: hızlıca hazırlamak - uydurmakUrdu: جلدی تیار کرنا - گھڑنا (کہانی/بہانہ/منصوبہ)Indonesian: memasak cepat - mengarang (cerita/alasan/rencana)
Example Sentences
I will cook up some pasta for dinner.
basic
She tried to cook up an excuse for being late.
basic
They wanted to cook up a simple meal before the meeting.
basic
He managed to cook up a story that fooled everyone.
natural
Let’s cook up a plan to surprise her on her birthday.
natural
After work, I can cook up something quick if you're hungry.
natural