brush up: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1-B2Informal to neutral
Quick answer
What does “brush up” mean?
To refresh, revise, or improve one's knowledge or skill in something.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To refresh, revise, or improve one's knowledge or skill in something.
To smarten, clean, or tidy oneself or something quickly; to make superficial improvements.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use it identically, though 'brush up' (verb) is slightly more common in British English, while 'brush-up' (noun) is equally recognized.
Connotations
Neutral in both. Slightly more common in UK for personal grooming context (e.g., 'brush up before the meeting').
Frequency
Common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “brush up” in a Sentence
brush up [on NP]brush up NPbrush up (intransitive)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brush up” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I should brush up my maths before the aptitude test.
- He's brushing up on his Shakespeare for the theatre audition.
American English
- I need to brush up my Spanish before the trip.
- She's brushing up on her coding skills for the interview.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used for refreshing professional skills before a presentation or meeting.
Academic
Common for exam preparation and revising subjects.
Everyday
Most frequent context: refreshing language or practical skills.
Technical
Rare in highly technical domains; more for general knowledge.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brush up”
- Incorrect preposition: 'brush up my French' (correct) vs. 'brush up about my French' (incorrect). 'Brush up on my French' is also correct.
- Using without object: 'I need to brush up' is acceptable if context is clear.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral to informal. Appropriate for most contexts except highly formal writing.
'Brush up' implies refreshing something you already know but are less familiar with now. 'Review' can be more general, including studying something for the first time in preparation.
Not always. 'Brush up my skills' (transitive) and 'brush up on my skills' (intransitive with 'on') are both correct. 'Brush up on' is more common when specifying the topic area.
Yes, but this is less common. It means to clean or tidy something quickly, e.g., 'I'll just brush up the flat before the guests arrive.' More often used for personal grooming: 'Give yourself a quick brush-up before the photo.'
To refresh, revise, or improve one's knowledge or skill in something.
Brush up: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrʌʃ ˈʌp/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbrʌʃ ˈʌp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “brush up on your act (theatrical)”
- “a quick brush-up”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine using a brush to dust off an old, forgotten book of knowledge.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE IS AN OBJECT THAT ACCUMulates DUST (needs cleaning/refreshing).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'brush up' correctly?