turbinar

Senses

1. 1.

   to turbocharge, to supercharge

   to add a turbocharger to an engine to increase power

2. 2.

   to boost, to amp up, to enhance

   to improve or increase the power, effectiveness, or intensity of something

3. 3.

   to juice up, to dope

   to use performance-enhancing substances (informal/slang, especially in sports context)

Examples

• "Ele turbinou o carro para participar da corrida."

  He turbocharged the car to participate in the race.

• "Vou turbinar meu café com uma colher de canela para ficar mais saboroso."

  I'm going to boost my coffee with a spoonful of cinnamon to make it tastier.

• "O atleta foi acusado de turbinar o corpo com substâncias proibidas."

  The athlete was accused of doping his body with banned substances.

Usage

Very common in informal Brazilian Portuguese. Often used figuratively to mean "enhance" or "upgrade" anything from recipes to workout routines. Colloquially also means to use steroids or performance enhancers. Common expressions: "turbinar o visual" (upgrade one's look), "turbinar a carreira" (boost one's career).