# beat up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beat-up
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to assault someone

phrasal verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to feel guilty

phrasal verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. worn out or damaged

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. exaggerated news story

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal · Dialect

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The bullies tried to beat up the smaller boy.
- He was worried that if he walked through that dark alley alone, someone might try to beat him up.
- The protagonist was nearly beaten up by a group of hired thugs before the police arrived to intervene in the struggle.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: distinguish from 'beat' (which can mean to win a game); 'beat up' specifically implies physical violence and injury.

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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.