Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
act-up
phrasal verb
/ækt ʌp/
Definition
To behave badly or inappropriately, often causing trouble or disruption.
Examples
- The child started to act up during the long meeting, causing a distraction.
- My old computer tends to act up when I’m running multiple programs at once.
- When pets get bored, they may act up and misbehave.
Meaning
The phrase ‘act-up’ refers to situations where an individual, often a child or a pet, misbehaves or causes a disturbance. It can also denote when machinery or devices fail to operate correctly.
Synonyms
- misbehave
- act out
- cause trouble
- disrupt
