1 B1 neutral
To cut something into rough, uneven pieces.
"She hacked up the fallen tree and stacked the wood by the shed."
separable
hack up
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To cut or divide something into pieces roughly; also to cough repeatedly or forcefully.
In plain English
To cut something into rough pieces, or to cough a lot in a difficult, unpleasant way.
What does "hack up" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To cough repeatedly and with effort, often producing mucus.
"He was hacking up all night with that terrible chest infection."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To damage or ruin something (a text, plan, or creative work) by making too many rough edits or changes.
"The director completely hacked up the original screenplay."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To hack (cut roughly) something upward or into pieces.
Actually means
To cut something into rough pieces, or to cough a lot in a difficult, unpleasant way.
Usage tip
The cutting sense is used for both physical objects and figurative destruction (e.g. hacking up a piece of writing). The coughing sense is colloquial and used to describe persistent, loud, or painful coughing. Both senses appear in British and North American English.
Words that pair with "hack up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wood cough code body script phlegm
How to conjugate "hack up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hack up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hacks up
he/she/it
Past simple
hacked up
yesterday
Past participle
hacked up
have + pp
-ing form
hacking up
continuous
Hear "hack up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "hack up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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