brush up
B1 neutral separable transitive
In simple words
To practise something you already know but have forgotten or not used for a while.
Literal meaning: To clean or polish something with a brush to restore its shine — extended to refreshing skills and knowledge.
Meanings
1 B1
idiomatic
neutral
To improve or refresh a skill or area of knowledge that has become rusty through lack of practice.
"I need to brush up on my Spanish before the trip to Mexico."
Grammar: separable
2 B2 neutral
To clean or smarten up one's appearance by brushing clothes or hair.
"She quickly brushed herself up before answering the door."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Very common in everyday and educational English. Almost always followed by 'on' when the object is a topic ('brush up on your French') or used reflexively ('brush up your skills'). The 'up' suggests the idea of polishing or bringing something back up to a good standard.
Commonly used with
skills language grammar knowledge French maths
Forms
Base
brush up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
brushes up
he/she/it
Past simple
brushed up
yesterday
Past participle
brushed up
have + pp
-ing form
brushing up
continuous
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