1 B2 informal
To cause minor dents, scratches, or superficial damage to an object, especially a car.
"Someone dinged up my car door in the car park — there are scratches all over it."
separable
ding up
B2 informal separable transitive
To cause minor dents, scratches, or superficial damage to something, especially a vehicle.
In plain English
To put small dents and scratches on something, like a car.
What does "ding up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To ding (small knock) something repeatedly, causing cumulative minor damage.
Actually means
To put small dents and scratches on something, like a car.
Usage tip
Chiefly American English. Most commonly refers to cars, but can apply to any surface. The related noun 'ding' means a small dent or knock. Implies damage that is real but not serious.
Words that pair with "ding up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
car bumper fender door vehicle paintwork
How to conjugate "ding up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
ding up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dings up
he/she/it
Past simple
dinged up
yesterday
Past participle
dinged up
have + pp
-ing form
dinging up
continuous
Hear "ding up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "ding up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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