What does “pimper” mean in French slang?

“On la pimpe” — let’s jazz it up. “Pimper” is the casual French verb for upgrading something to make it cooler or fancier: a tired recipe, a plain outfit, a basic bike. It’s the language of glow-ups and makeovers, very common in food and fashion videos, where the everyday gets a stylish twist rather than a full overhaul.

The word’s a linguistic round trip: an Old French “pimper” gave English “to pimp,” which bounced back into modern French around 2004 with the makeover sense — famously via the show “Pimp My Ride.” Reach for it when you “pimp” a basic salad with passion-fruit vinaigrette, or “pimper sa tenue” with sparkly accessories.