beat-up
adjective
dilapidated; in poor condition from use.
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beat upon.
beat-up
American
[beet-uhp]
/ ˈbitˈʌp /
adjective
noun
beat up
British
verb
-
(tr, adverb) to strike or kick (a person), usually repeatedly, so as to inflict severe physical damage
-
informal to reproach oneself
adjective
beat up
Idioms
-
Strike repeatedly, as in She told the police her husband had beaten her up . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]
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Also, beat up on . Attack verbally, as in That newspaper article really beat up on the town council . [ Slang ; late 1900s]
Etymology
Origin of beat-up
First recorded in 1935–40; adj., noun use of verb phrase beat up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rain beat upon the low, shingled roof with a force and clatter that threatened to break an entrance and deluge them there.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
The sun beat upon the reserved-level seats in right field.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2019
An excited Wall then beat upon his chest and hooted after his shot ensured that the Wizards are once again back at .500 for the second time this season.
From Washington Post • Dec. 31, 2013
When the Chair announced the reconsideration, a stormy wave of protest rose from the little politicians and beat upon the heads of the big ones.
From Time Magazine Archive
He turned and swam out to the falls and let the water beat upon him.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
