puff up

erizarse, ahuecar las plumas

Levantar el pelo o las plumas para que un animal parezca más grande o conserve el calor.

En inglés sencillo: To raise fur or feathers so that an animal looks bigger or stays warm.

• The bird puffed up its feathers.
• Our cat puffed up when it saw the dog.
• Sparrows puff themselves up to stay warm.

Cómo se usa: puff up something (The cat puffed up its fur.); puff oneself up (The little bird puffed itself up against the cold.)

Sinónimos: fluff up, bristle

Expresiones frecuentes: puff up feathers, puff up fur, puff itself up

inflar, hinchar

Hacer algo más grande o lleno introduciendo aire.

En inglés sencillo: To make something larger or fuller by putting air into it.

• He puffed up his cheeks.
• We puffed up the balloons for the party.
• Can you puff your cheeks up like this?

Cómo se usa: puff something up (She puffed her cheeks up and held her breath.)

Sinónimos: inflate, blow up

Antónimos: deflate

Expresiones frecuentes: puff up balloons, puff up cheeks, puff something up

hincharse, inflamarse

Aumentar de tamaño e hincharse por una lesión o enfermedad.

En inglés sencillo: To become larger and swollen because of an injury or illness.

• My ankle puffed up after the fall.
• Her eyes had puffed up because of an allergy.
• Did your hand puff up after the bee sting?

Sinónimos: swell, swell up

Expresiones frecuentes: puff up suddenly, puff up badly

envanecerse, engreírse

Sentirse muy orgulloso de uno mismo, a menudo más de lo razonable.

En inglés sencillo: To become very proud of yourself, often more than is reasonable.

• The praise puffed him up.
• She was puffed up with pride after her promotion.
• Success can puff people up and make them forget their friends.

Cómo se usa: be puffed up with something (He was puffed up with pride after winning the award.); puff someone up (All that praise puffed him up.)

Sinónimos: swell with pride, get conceited

Expresiones frecuentes: puff someone up, puff yourself up

fabricar, inventar

Inventar afirmaciones falsas o hacer que parezcan más graves de lo que son.

En inglés sencillo: To invent false claims or make them seem more serious than they really are.

• They puffed up false charges against him.
• The report puffed up minor complaints into serious accusations.
• His enemies puffed up a case using invented evidence.

Cómo se usa: puff up something against someone (They puffed up charges against an innocent man.)

Sinónimos: trump up, fabricate

Expresiones frecuentes: puff up charges, puff up accusations, puff something up