beat-up

adjective

ˈbēt-ˌəp 

-ˈəp

: dilapidated, shabby

Synonyms of beat-up

• dilapidated
• neglected

Examples of beat-up in a Sentence

drives the same beat-up truck he had in high school

Recent Examples on the Web

As an ex-convict, Decker can’t carry a gun and lives alone in a beat-up Florida trailer park. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026

General manager Monti Ossenfort did little to upgrade a beat-up unit that fell apart during the second half of last season, betting that better health would lead to improvement. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Armed with a beat-up van, a trunk full of trapping gear and a cohort of helpers, Jacquie Navratil leads Luxe Paws, a trap-and-release network that has helped more than 19,000 cats since 2012. — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

People are buying chore coats that actually look like they’ve been used for the namesake—the more beat-up the better. — Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1935, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beat-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

beat-up

adjective

ˈbēt-ˌəp, 

-ˈəp

: worn or damaged by use or neglect

a beat-up old car