Skip to main content
Ramp-up was originally an auto industry term used to indicate when a new model was scheduled to ship out, deliver, or "ramp-up" onto auto vehicle transport trucks. Also may used in other contexts, such as when a business switches over to or begins using a new software package or new version of older software. The term ramp-up was used primarily in a time context, when something was due to occur or occurred in the past.

The news media misconstrued the meaning of ramp-up a few years ago, when interviewing auto industry people, to be synonymous with "ratchet-up", meaning to increase or "turn-up". The term is now used almost exclusively in this context.
The Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to ramp-up in late 2010.

Our company will ramped-up its new accounting software package next month.
Ramp-up by bastard72 August 16, 2009
Words you can keep
A term used to pacify a scared audience that you are close to doing your job but have in fact done fuck all.
We have ramp-up our delivery of competence.
ramp-up by Zarendarger May 15, 2020
To increase something, especially the consumption of alcohol, suddenly and significantly. Can be shortened to “ramp” for conciseness.
“It’s time to ramp up the drinking. This is getting stupid.”

“It’s Friday. We’re looking at a ramp day today.”

“Ramp.”
Ramp Up by £RACKS-UP£ June 9, 2025

ramp up the jawn 

a phrase used by BMXers expressing emotions of encouragement.
Dom, ramp up the jawn, bitch!!
ramp up the jawn by Dom P. November 5, 2002

RAMP UP THE JAWN 

showin' off your new clothes/kicks/anything new
"yo, dude, i'm going to the mall to ramp up the jawn later on. you wanna come with me?"
RAMP UP THE JAWN by jklolz May 29, 2005

ramp up my dick game 

The act of being more of a dick. One may feel compelled to be more of a dick if it's insinuated he is weak, beta, or too polite given the social circumstances.

There is no sexual connotation. Literal dicks and literal ramps are not involved in ramping one's dick game.
I gotta ramp up my dick game for Camsteven because she's been whipping me.
ramp up my dick game by Cristo39 November 4, 2019

gradual-ramp-up-volume greeting 

Refers to a non-startling strategy employed whenever you are unable to unobtrusively get someone's attention or make eye-contact with him for whatever reason (maybe he's deep in a book, concentrating hard on a household/carpentry task, or using noisy equipment, and thus he does not look up/around occasionally or hear/observe your presence) and so you start out to say hello by speaking very quietly, and then cautiously raising your voice little-by-little (like some modern-day alarm-clocks do so as to wake you "gently" instead of startling you out of a sound slumber with a full-blast ringer right away) till the previously-oblivious person eventually becomes aware of your proximity and glances up.
I'd wanted to ask my elderly neighbor about my possibly carpooling with him on his grocery-shopping trip the next day, but he was so busy using his riding lawnmower that he never noticed me despite my circling around in front of him several times, so I eventually used the gradual-ramp-up-volume greeting to finally get his attention.
More from Urban Dictionary

Literally 1984 

Used in response for when someone promotes/advocates an event or idea that is perceived to support "too much" authority and/or government control.

Often used jokingly as a over-exaggeration in political talk.

Can also be used in response to a ban or mute in a forum site or online chat.
Steve: I think that the government should regulate businesses more
Bob: Literally 1984!

--User1 has been permantly banned--
User2: You cant ban my friend like that! Literally 1984!
Literally 1984 by ke1 July 7, 2021
Word of the Day on September 1, 2026

Back when I lived in upstate new york 

A meaningless, unimpressive, self-serving introduction. An indicator that the story about to be shared will be pointless and dumb.
Back when I lived in upstate new york, I also had to park on the street - on two occasions, we got enough snow, mixed with just the right plowing, that my car was lifted off the ground from so much snow being jammed underneath it.
Word of the Day on August 31, 2026
Acronym, meaning Too Long Didn't Understand
Similar to TLDR
Sister: This meeting was to discuss the rough draft of my essay, where we discussed the subsidiary questions I added in my rough draft. We also discussed the relationship between my main title and the real-life situations I chose to use in my essay. We discussed the structure of my essay as well, specifically the Math AOK section and how it relates to the contradiction of the title. This second meeting was particularly helpful in discussing the implications of my essay claims and how to apply the title across various areas of knowledge. There were many sections of the essay that could have been cut down in wordiness and the ways of knowing required further and more in-depth analysis.

Me: Woah! TLDU!
TLDU by L-Evans January 14, 2019
Word of the Day on August 30, 2026
the act of having anonymous sexual encounters with other men in public toilets.
Cottaging by greeef April 24, 2003
Word of the Day on August 29, 2026

Salad Days 

green inexperienced youthful judgement and cold blooded execution of those judgements.

Rashness with little concern of consequence.

Antony and Cleopatra. William Shakespeare

"My salad days,
When I was green in judgment, cold in blood."

- William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, 1.5
"How did you end up in jail?"

"Salad days, 'nuf said."
Salad Days by GilbyRFC0 October 7, 2011
Word of the Day on August 28, 2026
Next