brush up en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
-
To paint, or make clean or bright with a brush.
April 10, 1706, Alexander Pope, letter to William Wycherley You have commissioned me to paint your shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your neighbours.
-
(idiomatic) To review; to improve an existing but rusty or underdeveloped skill.
How many will be rich enough to travel in style is difficult to know—but already 30% of the guests at the very expensive Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong are from mainland China. Reception staff around the world had better start brushing up their Mandarin language skills.
2010 December 7, J.A., “Travel in style”, in The Economist:I'll need to brush up (on) my Greek before my trip to Athens.
- (slang, transitive) To beat up, annoy or insult (someone).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| brushes up | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| brushed up | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| brushed up | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| brushing up | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (16)
pl odświeżać (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · de aufpolieren (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · es bruñir (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · ko 연마하다 (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · nl bijspijkeren (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · es desempolvar (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · ru освежа́ть (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · it rispolverare (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · pl odświeżyć (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · nl afstoffen (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · fi kerrata (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · ru освежи́ть (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · de auffrischen (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · ja ブラッシュアップ (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · el ξεσκονίζω (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill) · fr dérouiller (to improve a rusty or underdeveloped skill)