bang-up

[ bang-uhp ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. excellent; extraordinary.

bang up

verb

1. slang:prison.
   tr, adverb to lock up (a prisoner) in his or her cell, esp for the night

Word History and Origins

Origin of bang-up¹

First recorded in 1800–10; adj. use of verb phrase bang up

Idioms and Phrases

Damage, injure, as in Banging up the car a second time will make Dad very unhappy , or Mother fell down the stairs and was all banged up . The verb to bang alone had this meaning from the 1500s on, up being added in the late 1800s. In the early 1800s it gave rise to the colloquial adjective bang-up , for excellent or very successful, as in David did a bang-up job baking the birthday cake .

Example Sentences

Buffalo’s a little more banged up than most.

From Los Angeles Times

The Chiefs are banged up at receiver and corner, so that could be a bit of an issue.

From Los Angeles Times

"I was banged up for 23 hours a day. I didn't have any bad experiences but I heard about people being attacked in the showers, that kind of thing."

From BBC

The Rams are more banged up, the offensive line isn’t as good, and the defense is prone to forehead-slapping breakdowns.

From Los Angeles Times

The Buccaneers are banged up, especially along the offensive line.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• excellent
• exceptional
• high-quality
• marvelous
• outstanding
• superb