The Phrasal Verb 'Wash Up' Explained
- Apr 24
- 7 min read
An explanation of the different meanings of the English phrasal verb 'wash up' from a native speaker, with lots of examples in context
Hello and welcome to my website for English learners all about phrasal verbs where I explain their different meanings to help you understand, learn and use them like a native.
'Wash up' is a common English phrasal verb that has different meanings depending on which side of the Atlantic Ocean you are. In this post, I will look at these two main meanings as well as another less common one that is used everywhere. As usual, for each application I will provide you with lots of example sentences to show you how and when to use each one, helping you to boost your English level and impress the people around you 😃 So, let's make a start and find out what 'wash up' is all about....
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THE BASICS
WASH UP: KEY INFORMATION
Usage | Common |
Number of meanings | 3 |
Past tense forms | Washed up / Washed up |
Separable? | Sometimes |
The phrasal verb 'wash up' has three distinct meanings that we will look at in this post, but what do it's individual words 'wash' and 'up' mean on their own? Let's briefly take a look at these and remind ourselves....
Wash - 'To wash' is a regular English verb whose main meaning is to make something clean by using water and soap. In addition to this, it also has a less common meaning that is 'to move something in a particular direction with water or the flow of water'.
My car is so dirty; I need to wash it!
I can't come to the party tonight as I am washing my hair.
The water washed the litter along the street.
Up - The prepositional particle 'up' is the most common little word that can be found in phrasal verb constructions and can add a variety of meanings and ideas to them. Of course, it can add the idea of an upwards movement or an increase (go up), however when it appears in a phrasal verb, it rarely means upwards. Moreover, it can add different ideas such as completion (eat up), positive change (cheer up), creation (set up) and intensification (heat up), among others.
So, now that we have covered the basics, let's move on to the different meanings of the phrasal verb 'wash up'....
MEANING 1: To wash the dishes
CEFR Language Level | A2 - Elementary |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | British English |
Potential synonyms | To do the dishes |
Separable? | Yes |
For the first meaning of 'wash up', we are going to start on my side of the Atlantic Ocean and talk about a common British English application, which is 'to wash the dishes'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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When I was 15 years old (a long long time ago), I got my first ever job, which was working in the kitchen of a busy country pub and restaurant in a small English village near to where I lived. I had lots of small tasks in my role but the main one was washing all of the pots, pans, knives and utensils that the chefs used by hand, or in other words, washing up.
Put quite simply, 'washing up' is just the action of hand washing all of the items used in cooking and eating a meal so that they are clean and can be used again once they are dry.
If you are lucky, you may have a dishwasher, meaning that you do not normally have to wash up after a meal but some people like to do it (not me).
As I mentioned, this is mainly a British English term but it is also used in Australian English and other parts of the anglophone world. In American English however the term 'do the dishes' is more common. We also do say that in the UK but it is not as common as 'wash up'.
On a grammatical level, this usage of 'wash up' is separable and the dirty item to be washed can go between 'wash' and 'up' or after them. It is also common to refer to this task as 'washing up' and people will often talk about "doing the washing up".
I’ll wash up after dinner if you cook.
Robert always washes up straight after eating.
We need to wash up these cups before the guests arrive.
Beth washed up all the plates and glasses.
I’ve already washed up, so the kitchen is clean now.
It’s your turn to wash up tonight!
I need to do the washing up, then we can watch the film.
Let’s leave the washing up until tomorrow.
MEANING 2: To clean yourself
CEFR Language Level | B1 - Intermediate |
Usage | Common |
Where is it used? | American English |
Potential synonyms | To wash, to freshen up |
Separable? | No |
Let's jump on a transatlantic flight for our second meaning of 'wash up', which is one that is more common in American English and means 'to clean yourself'.
For this usage, instead of focussing on an object that we want to make clean, we are focussing on ourselves and our bodies. We can use this application to talk about having a complete body wash, e.g. having a shower, but it is more common to use it to talk about washing either your face, your hands or both.
When someone 'washes up', it is typically in preparation for something and the idea is that the person washes and gets clean before doing something. This is most frequently heard at mealtimes. For example, if someone comes home from work, they may go and wash up and change their clothes before sitting down for their evening meal with their family.
As a British English speaker, I am familiar with this usage but it is not one that I would ever use in my daily life; in contrast, British speakers would use 'wash your hands / face' or 'freshen up' as alternatives here. Unlike the previous application, this one is not separable.
I need to wash up before dinner.
Go wash up; it’s time to eat!
Sue went to the bathroom to wash up.
Gary told the kids to wash up after playing outside.
I’ve already washed up, so I’m ready to go.
I just need a minute to wash up and change.
Malcolm splashed some water on his face to wash up.
Jenny went upstairs to wash up before going out.
MEANING 3: To be carried to land by water
CEFR Language Level | C1 - Advanced |
Usage | Medium |
Where is it used? | Everywhere |
Potential synonyms | |
Separable? | No |
We have now arrived at our third and final application of 'wash up', which is a slightly rarer one that is used universally and means 'to be carried to be land by water'.
Nouns commonly used with this application....
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Have you ever heard about the shipment of rubber ducks that was lost in 1992 when the container that they were inside fell off the ship and into the ocean? It is a true story and since then, thousands of rubber ducks have been appearing on beaches all over the world, in places from Japan to Scotland. In this instance we can say that the rubber ducks have been '"washing up" on beaches for over 30 years.
To clarify, we can use this application to describe when something that is floating in water is transported by the movement of the water until it finally arrives on land (normally a beach or the shores of a river or lake) where the movement then stops. It can be used for anything from products to pieces of shipwrecked boats and even dead bodies!
Grammatically speaking, we normally use this in the passive voice, e.g. something is or gets washed up as our focus is on the object (we know that the water is moving it). We often add the extra prepositional particle 'on' here to specify the place where the item was washed up.
A dead fish was washed up on the beach after the storm.
Pieces of driftwood were washed up along the coastline overnight.
The tide washed up seaweed all over the sand.
After the heavy rain, rubbish was washed up on the riverbank.
A message in a bottle was washed up on a remote island.
Several jellyfish were washed up by the strong currents.
The storm washed up debris onto the shore, making it difficult to walk.
Old fishing nets were washed up near the harbour.
You can learn more about the rubber ducks and other interesting items that have been washed up on shores around the world on this link....
BONUS: The adjective 'washed-up'
So now you know all about the phrasal verb 'wash up' and what it means but did you know that there is also a common adjective that is derived from it: 'washed-up'?
While we can use this adjective to describe something that has been washed up on a beach (as in the third phrasal verb application), we more commonly use it to talk about a person who is no longer successful at what they do, perhaps because they are old or because the world has moved on.
It is a fairly informal usage and can often be considered offensive, so definitely exercise caution if you do wish to use it.
He used to be a famous actor, but now he’s just a washed-up Z-list celebrity.
The media quickly labelled him a washed-up footballer after his injury.
The actress refused to believe she was washed-up and kept auditioning for new roles.
We have now reached the end of this post and I just want to say thank you for clicking on my post and reading it. I hope that you've enjoyed it and have been able to learn something new about the phrasal verb 'wash up'. If you enjoyed this post, please go ahead and check out some of my other posts.
Now it is YOUR turn. Can you think of a sentence yourself using 'wash up'. Write it in the comments section below if you can, or alternatively any comments, suggestions or feedback that you may have....don't be shy!!!
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THE END
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