1 C1 idiomatic informal
To fill or decorate a place with cheap, tacky, or low-quality objects, making it look worse.
"They've completely tatted up the town square with cheap plastic decorations."
separable
tat up
C1 informal separable transitive
To fill or decorate a place with cheap, tacky, or low-quality items.
In plain English
To fill a place with cheap, ugly stuff that makes it look worse.
What does "tat up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To fill up with tat (cheap, low-quality goods).
Actually means
To fill a place with cheap, ugly stuff that makes it look worse.
Usage tip
British English slang. Derived from 'tat' (BrE), meaning cheap or low-quality goods. Has a negative connotation, suggesting poor taste. Rarely used outside British informal speech.
Words that pair with "tat up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
house room market souvenirs place stall
How to conjugate "tat up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
tat up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
tats up
he/she/it
Past simple
tated up
yesterday
Past participle
tated up
have + pp
-ing form
tating up
continuous
Hear "tat up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "tat up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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