washed-up
adjective
done for; having failed completely.
washed-up
American
[wosht-uhp, wawsht-]
/ ˈwɒʃtˈʌp, ˈwɔʃt- /
adjective
Informal.
washed up
British
adjective
-
no longer useful, successful, hopeful, etc
our hopes for the new deal are all washed up
-
exhausted
washed up
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of washed-up
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
See Examples For:
The ‘Mad Men’ star reflects on playing a washed-up version of himself, the fickleness of Hollywood and why broad comedy is harder than it looks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In Hoboken: Playing a washed-up boxer, Marlon Brando declares, “I could have been a contender,” in “On the Waterfront.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
Nominated for seven Oscars, Duvall won best actor in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in Tender Mercies.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
Duvall won his Academy Award in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in "Tender Mercies."
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
Obadiah down on his knees in the mud, bent over the washed-up statue.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
Ronaldo has heard that he was washed up, that he no longer belonged in their league.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
Hundreds of "stunningly beautiful" blue sea creatures have washed up along parts of the Welsh coastline.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Wind gusts were so strong at Island Bay that two women were knocked off their feet as waves washed up over the road, an AFP journalist saw.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
"Help me go home," viewers hear Odysseus plead, after having first found the King of Ithaca washed up on a far away sea shore.
From BBC ● May 5, 2026
“Aar, can you make sure your sisters are getting washed up for bed, please?”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
