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beat-up

beat-up

41 5.2
Damaged and worn from rough use over a long time
  • adjective
  • /ˈbiːtˌʌp/
translation icon : destartalado
  • He's come from work and is still wearing beat-up shorts, heavy boots, and crew socks.
  • a beat-up old car

His kids could have beat up shoes with holes in them.

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Examples

  • So why are you still wearing that beat up, old thing?

  • That beat-up old chair has been in the family for years.

  • It's pretty beat up and it's only been half of the school year.

  • Looks like it's been beat up.

  • You know those well loved beat up stuffed animals that you had as a kid?

  • This palette is beat up because I use it so much.

  • You notice how beat-up the church was, how dirty inside, and how clean they all were.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Did you see those kids sitting in that beat-up truck shivering to death?

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Meanwhile, we were hauling stuff around in our old, beat-up jalopies.

  • My skateboard looks really beat-up after all the tricks I've tried.

Synonyms

broken-down
vsbeat-up
24 4.4

In very poor condition and not working because of age or neglect

also covers damage from rough treatment, not only age or neglect
beaten-up
vsbeat-up
23 4.7

Damaged and worn from being hit or used a lot

is the broader idea of being damaged by rough or long use
worn-out
vsbeat-up
20 3.1

An object too old or damaged from heavy use to be useful

includes that state but also milder damage from rough treatment
in tatters
vsbeat-up
8 6.4

So badly torn and ruined that it cannot be used, like clothes or plans

can describe similar damage but also milder worn or rough use cases
worn
vsbeat-up
4 2.1

Damaged and showing signs of long use

emphasizes damage from rough treatment or long use rather than mere age
weather-beaten
vsbeat-up
3 6.6

Having a rough, worn look after being outdoors in sun or wind

is about damage from rough use or long use, not only weather
to smashed up
vsbeat-up
  • Informal
1 4.8

Become damaged or broken into pieces after a hard hit

includes such severe harm but also lighter wear from long use
knocked-out
vsbeat-up
  • Informal
1 6.8

Damaged and worn so it no longer works well

is a neutral term for damage from rough treatment or long use
damaged
vsbeat-up
1 1.1

Harmed so it works or looks worse

is specifically about rough or long use causing that damage
tattered
vsbeat-up
1 4.5

In a very poor state after long use or damage

focuses on physical damage from rough or long use rather than figurative harm
blemished
vsbeat-up
1 4.1

Having marks or small faults that make something less good

refers to general damage or heavy wear rather than minor spots
frazzled
vsbeat-up
1 5.1

Worn and damaged at the edges from long use

emphasizes overall damage from rough or long use rather than fraying alone
battered
vsbeat-up
3.7

An object that is damaged and has many marks from rough use

covers damage from rough treatment but is less focused on shabby look
tumbledown
vsbeat-up
5.6

A building that is old, not cared for, and falling apart

focuses on rough treatment or long use rather than neglect alone
marred
vsbeat-up
5.5

Having a mark or fault that makes it look worse

involves broader damage or wear beyond just surface marks
storm-beaten
vsbeat-up
7.4

A thing damaged and worn by storms

covers weather damage but also any rough treatment or long use causes
wrecked
vsbeat-up
4.0

Badly damaged after an accident or disaster

can include total destruction but also lesser damage from rough use
swacked
vsbeat-up
  • Archaic
9.9

Badly damaged, often crushed by a strong hit or accident

is broader, covering both severe blows and long rough use damage

Antonyms

new
1.0

In original condition and never used before

63 5.1

Very clean and fresh, like new

How Damaged

dilapidated
18 6.2
beat-up
41 5.2
battered
3.7
worn
4 2.1
used
1.0
new
1.0

Surface Forms

beat-up positive

Morphology

beat-up = beat + up (transparent) = beat + up

The adjective derives directly from the phrasal verb 'beat up' (beat + up), so learners who know the verb phrase can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Beat-up comes from beat ('to hit') and up (a word that makes the meaning stronger), so imagine something that has been hit and used so much it looks worn and damaged.