zhuzhhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zhuzh_v%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezhuzh, v.
First published 2006

zhuzhverb

slang.
  1. 1970–
    transitive. To smarten up (someone or something); to make (something) more stylish, attractive, or exciting. Also with up.
    Originally used among gay men, apparently in Polari slang.
    1. 1970
      A zhooshy quean is a grand quean, to zhoosh up is to get ready.
      P. Burton, Lang. of their own: Polari, West End Homosexual Slang (typescript) (OED Archive) p. ii
    2. 1977
      As feely homies..we would zhoosh our riahs, powder our eeks, climb into our bona new drag, don our batts and troll off to some bona bijou bar.
      Gay News 2 June 23/1
    3. 1988
      Mostly the words are dusted off and brought out when we wish to zhoosh up a conversation, to announce a particular delight in our queenly style.
      N. Bartlett, Who was that Man? iv. 82
    4. 1990
      In 1815 the Prince had employed John Nash, architect of Regent's Park, to zhoosh up his rather plain and classical farmhouse by the sea.
      Gay Times March 25/3
    5. 2020
      We're here to help you zhuzh up your Zoom background with some [‘glowing star’ emoji] inspiring images!
      @greenpeaceusa 2 May in twitter.com (accessed 7 May 2020)

zhuzh, v. was first published in March 2006.

zhuzh, v. was last modified in September 2024.