beat up

phr.v. to hurt someone badly by hitting or kicking them many times.

phr.v. to assault a person violently with repeated blows. Transitive and separable, though the object often follows the particle when it is a noun phrase.

“He was worried that the older boys might try to beat him up after school.”

“The victim testified that the defendants had cornered him in the alleyway and proceeded to beat him up until he lost consciousness.”

Informal

phr.v. to blame yourself too much for a mistake or something that went wrong.

phr.v. to subject oneself to excessive self-criticism or guilt. Usually reflexive and followed by the prepositions 'over' or 'about'.

“Don't beat yourself up over one small mistake on the test.”

“She continued to beat herself up about the failed project, despite her manager's assurances that the outcome was beyond her control.”

Informal

adj. old, damaged, or in very poor condition because of heavy use.

adj. showing signs of heavy use, neglect, or physical damage. Often used to describe vehicles or old equipment.

“He drives a beat-up old truck that makes a loud noise whenever it starts.”

“The apartment was furnished with a beat-up sofa and a coffee table that looked like it had been rescued from a skip.”

Informal

n. a news story that is made to seem much more important or shocking than it really is.

n. a sensationalised or manufactured media story designed to provoke public outcry. Primarily used in British, Australian, and New Zealand English.

“The scandal turned out to be a media beat-up to sell more newspapers.”

“The opposition dismissed the report as a political beat-up intended to distract the public from the upcoming budget cuts.”

British English · Informal · Dialect