Why Denver’s Nighttime Stoplights Are Changing

What does “on steroids” mean in English?

When someone says a thing is “on steroids,” they mean it is like something normal — but much bigger or more powerful. It has nothing to do with drugs. It is an informal way to make a comparison dramatic. You can hear it in casual conversation, news, and online content, any time someone wants to say “this is the extreme version.”

In the clip, Denver’s traffic engineer is describing how the city’s stoplight system works. He says: “That’s a sprinkler clock on steroids. Right? You control many, many different elements to it.” He compares the traffic system to a simple garden sprinkler timer — then says this version is far more complex. The gap between a little sprinkler clock and a whole city’s traffic grid is what makes it funny and clear. You’ll hear it in many situations: “This new phone is just last year’s model on steroids,” or “The festival is like a local street fair on steroids.” It works well in informal speech and writing, but would sound odd in a formal report or essay.