Many times I heard people say that "beat up someone". But on the internet, I can only found this definition which does not seem matching with the word beat up in the above sentence
"beat-up:(of a thing) worn out by overuse; in a state of disrepair.
" https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what+is+beat+up
So, what does the preposition "up" mean in "He got beaten up by other kids in school"?
Note:
"beat" means "strike repeatedly" & "beat up" also means "strike repeatedly". So, "up" should have a certain meaning and what is the difference between "beat" and "beat up"?
Best Answer
Up as a particle in verbal idioms often has an energetic or intensive sense, roughly equivalent to something on the order of "thoroughly" or "purposefully". Some examples: