Drum up Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Persistent Effort Implies a dedicated and sometimes creative effort to achieve a goal. The sales team worked overtime to drum up new clients. Pro Tip 2/3Promotional Context Often used when someone is promoting a product, service, or event aggressively. The author visited bookstores to drum up interest for her novel. Pro Tip 3/3Not Instantaneous Suggests a process that may take time and doesn't result in immediate success. It can take weeks to drum up enough support for the charity event.