Phrase guide

beat up

adj · noun · verb · 19 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Battered by time and usage; beaten up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who, or thing that, has been beaten up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An act of beating up:

A raid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, slang

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An act of beating up:

A beating; a hazing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An artificially or disingenuously manufactured alarm or outcry, especially one agitated by or through the media.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, UK

Examples

  • 2009, Newstalk ZB, Hydro project claims "a beat up" - Brownlee, Newstalk ZB.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A tree planted later than others in a plantation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, forestry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To give a severe beating to; to assault violently with repeated blows.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I got beaten up by thugs on my way home.
  • You don't beat people up, so that you can live in a society where nobody would beat you up.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To wake up earlier than.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • I wanted to beat you up this morning and make breakfast for you for once.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To attack suddenly; to alarm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To cause, by some other means, injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To feel badly guilty and accuse (oneself) over something. (Usually followed by over or about.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: reflexive

Examples

  • Don’t beat yourself up over such a minor mistake.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To make (someone) feel badly guilty and accuse (them) over something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To repeatedly bomb a military target or targets.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: WW2-air-pilots'-usage

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To get something done (derived from the idea of beating for game).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To sail to windward using a series of alternate tacks across the wind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To disturb; to pay an untimely visit to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To go diligently about in order to get helpers or participants in an enterprise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, intransitive

Examples

  • to beat up for recruits, or for volunteers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

gather

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • drum up support

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: drum up, rally

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: collect, pull in

19

verb

Meaning 19

give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at night
  • The teacher used to beat the students

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beat, work over

Antonyms: none provided

Narrower terms: strong-arm, soak, pistol-whip, belabour, belabor, rough up, flog, welt, whip, lather, lash, slash, strap, trounce, cane, lambaste, lambast, knock cold, knock out, kayo, thrash, thresh, lam, flail, clobber, baste, batter, spank, paddle, larrup

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

92 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ծեծել (cecel) — to give a beating to
  • Armenian: գանահարել (ganaharel) — to give a beating to
  • Armenian: քացու տակ գցել (kʻacʻu tak gcʻel) — to give a beating to
  • Armenian: ծեծ տալ (cec tal) — to give a beating to
  • Azerbaijani: döymək — to give a beating to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暴打 (bàodǎ) — to give a beating to
  • Czech: zmlátit — to give a beating to
  • Finnish: hakata — to give a beating to
  • Finnish: antaa turpaan — to give a beating to
  • Finnish: saada selkäänsä — to give a beating to
  • French: flanquer une tripotée — to give a beating to
  • French: tabasser — to give a beating to
  • Galician: brear — to give a beating to
  • Galician: zorregar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: abalar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: mallar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: bourar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: fostregar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: apalambrar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: apadumar — to give a beating to
  • Galician: sostainear — to give a beating to
  • German: verprügeln — to give a beating to
  • German: schlagen — to give a beating to
  • German: aufmischen — to give a beating to
  • Hebrew: הרביץ — to give a beating to
  • Irish: greasáil — to give a beating to
  • Italian: picchiare — to give a beating to
  • Italian: rompere le ossa — to give a beating to
  • Khmer: វាយ (viey) — to give a beating to
  • Khmer: វាយដំ (viey dɑm) — to give a beating to
  • Khmer: វាយដំច្រំធាក់ (viey dɑm cram theak) — to give a beating to
  • Korean: 구타하다 (gutahada) — to give a beating to
  • Latin: mulcō — to give a beating to
  • Navajo: bił ndzíłtsʼin — to give a beating to
  • Norwegian: banke opp — to give a beating to
  • Norwegian: gje juling — to give a beating to
  • Polish: skuwać — to give a beating to
  • Polish: skuć — to give a beating to
  • Polish: pobijać — to give a beating to
  • Polish: pobić — to give a beating to
  • Portuguese: espancar — to give a beating to
  • Russian: избива́ть (izbivátʹ) — to give a beating to
  • Russian: изби́ть (izbítʹ) — to give a beating to
  • Slovak: zbiť — to give a beating to
  • Slovak: zmlátiť — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: apalear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: pegar — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: coñacear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: percutir — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: tundir — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: tundear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: vapulear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: aporrear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: percutar — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: aporracear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: sopapear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: paporrear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: zurrar — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: solfear — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: sacarle el ancho — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: sacar la mierda — to give a beating to
  • Spanish: caerle golpe — to give a beating to
  • Swedish: slå ner — to give a beating to
  • Swedish: klå upp — to give a beating to
  • Swedish: misshandla — to give a beating to
  • Tagalog: bugbugin — to give a beating to
  • Thai: ทุบตี — to give a beating to
  • Thai: ทําร้าย (tam-ráai) — to give a beating to
  • Thai: กระทืบ (grà-tʉ̂ʉp) — to give a beating to
  • Vietnamese: đánh đập — to give a beating to
  • Finnish: tehdä yllätyshyökkäys — to attack suddenly; to alarm
  • Finnish: yllättää — to attack suddenly; to alarm
  • German: überfallen — to attack suddenly; to alarm
  • Finnish: teloa — to cause injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up
  • German: zurichten — to cause injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up
  • Tagalog: mambugbog — to cause injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up
  • Tagalog: mabugbog — to cause injuries comparable to the result of being beaten up
  • Finnish: murehtia — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • French: se mettre la rate au court-bouillon — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • Galician: marteirar — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • German: fertigmachen — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • Spanish: martirizar — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • Spanish: preocuparse — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • Thai: โทษ (tôot) — to feel guilty and accuse oneself over something
  • Finnish: kurittaa — military: to repeatedly bomb a target
  • Finnish: saada valmiiksi — to get something done
  • German: es aufnehmen mit — to get something done
  • Finnish: luovia — nautical: to sail to windward
  • German: kreuzen — nautical: to sail to windward
  • Russian: лави́ровать (lavírovatʹ) — nautical: to sail to windward
  • Finnish: haalia — to go diligently about in order to get helpers or participants in an enterprise
  • German: die Werbetrommel rühren — to go diligently about in order to get helpers or participants in an enterprise