# bash up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bash-up
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to hit someone or something many times and cause serious damage or injury.

For teachers: to physically assault a person or damage an object through repeated, forceful impact; typically carries a colloquial or informal register.

## Examples

- He got bashed up in a fight outside the club.
- The old car was completely bashed up after it rolled down the steep hill into a tree.
- The protagonist returns home with a bashed up face, serving as a visceral reminder of the violent encounter he barely survived.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The thieves bashed up to him." but "The thieves bashed him up." — this is a transitive phrasal verb; the object must follow the verb or the particle, not be introduced by 'to'.

## Usage notes

- often used in the passive voice to describe the state of a person or object after an attack.
- Teaching tip: highlight that 'bash' alone implies a single hit, while 'bash up' emphasizes the resulting state of damage or the intensity of the beating.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.