washed-up

American  

[wosht-uhp, wawsht-] / ˈwɒʃtˈʌp, ˈwɔʃt- /

adjective

Informal.

1. done for; having failed completely.

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washed up British  

adjective

1. no longer useful, successful, hopeful, etc

   our hopes for the new deal are all washed up

2. exhausted

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washed up Idioms  

1. see wash up, def. 3.

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Etymology

Origin of washed-up

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Duvall won his Academy Award in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in "Tender Mercies."

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 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

Friends Ellinor Rosen Eriksson and Asa Nilsson found the washed-up bottle earlier this year.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

Co-writer Dylan plays Jack Fate, a washed-up musician enlisted by John Goodman’s Uncle Sweetheart to join a motley crew of circus acts and con artists for a benefit concert.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2024

I count my lucky stars—that is, I’m reminded again that there is some luck to be had, even for a washed-up hustler like me.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz