dish up

dish up — phrasal verb

  • dish upbase form
  • dishes up3rd person singular
  • dishing up-ing form
  • dished uppast simple

1. to take food from a cooking pot or pan and put it onto plates or bowls ready to

1.片語動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to take food from a cooking pot or pan and put it onto plates or bowls ready to be eaten

例句

Bilal dished up fried rice and put it at the centre of the table.

dish up + noun phrase (direct object)

While Théo dished up the spaghetti, his mother poured the drinks for everyone.

同義詞
  • serve up

    very similar meaning; slightly more neutral in tone

  • plate up

    common in restaurant and home cooking contexts; more specific to arranging food attractively on a plate

  • portion out

    focuses on dividing food into equal amounts rather than the act of serving

反義詞
  • clear away

    the opposite action of removing dishes after a meal

文法句型

dish up + noun phrase

dish + noun phrase + up

用法筆記

The food being served can go either after 'up' ('dish up the soup') or between 'dish' and 'up' ('dish the soup up'). In very informal speech, the object may be left out when the meaning is clear from context ('I'll dish up now').

常見錯誤

❌She dished up the guests.
✅She dished up the food for the guests.
💡'dish up' takes the food or dish as object, not the people being served.
❌He dished up a formal banquet for fifty people.
✅He dished up plates of stew for everyone.
💡'dish up' is informal and suits everyday meals, not elaborate formal dining.

2. to provide or present ideas, excuses, or entertainment that seem weak, repetitiv

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to provide or present ideas, excuses, or entertainment that seem weak, repetitive, or of low quality

例句

The TV network keeps dishing up the same old reality shows every season.

dishing up + repetitive or weak content

The politician dished up a series of weak excuses for missing the public debate.

同義詞
  • serve up

    can also be used figuratively with a negative tone, though slightly less critical than 'dish up'

  • trot out

    more informal; suggests the material has been used many times before

  • churn out

    focuses on producing large quantities quickly, often with low quality

反義詞
  • hold back

    to deliberately keep something from being offered or revealed

  • withhold

    formal; to refuse to provide something

文法句型

dish up + noun phrase

dish + noun phrase + up

用法筆記

Almost always carries a critical or dismissive tone toward whatever is being offered. The object is usually something disappointing, repetitive, or low-quality — excuses, propaganda, old content, poor service. Not used for genuinely good or impressive offerings.

常見錯誤

❌The chef dished up an excellent three-course meal.
✅The chef dished up a wonderful three-course meal.' (or use 'served')
💡'dish up' in sense 2 is always negative/critical. For positive contexts use sense 1 or the verb 'serve'.