act up

phrasal-verb
UK: /ækt ʌp/
US: /ækt ʌp/

  1. To behave badly or disruptively.

    1. The kids act up when they are tired. [ ] [ ]
    2. My car started to act up on the way to work, so I took it to a mechanic. [ ] [ ]

  2. To malfunction or not work properly.

    1. The TV started to act up again. [ ] [ ]
    2. My computer has been acting up lately, so I will get it repaired. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

misbehave play up malfunction

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "act up" in English means: To behave badly or disruptively., To malfunction or not work properly..

The phonetic transcription of "act up" is /ækt ʌp/ in British English and /ækt ʌp/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "act up": misbehave, play up, malfunction.

Example usage of "act up": "The kids act up when they are tired.". More examples on the page.