act up
To misbehave; to cause troubleTo misbehave; to cause trouble.
» Children want to act like grown-ups.
Kinder wollen sich wie Erwachsene benehmen.
Дети хотят подражать взрослым.
Діти хочуть поводитися, як дорослі.
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic, intransitive)To misbehave; to cause trouble.
My allergies act up during hay fever season.
Children may act up in class in an effort to get attention.
(idiomatic, intransitive)To perform the duties of an appointment senior to that actually held; to deputise for a superior.
Acting up is always recommended when you find yourself under a new boss.
- make itself felt as a recurring pain
- misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way
Examples
9 sentencesChildren want to act like grown-ups.
Діти хочуть поводитися, як дорослі. — deniko
ruДети хотят подражать взрослым. — marafon
deKinder wollen sich wie Erwachsene benehmen. — al_ex_an_der
You should act like grown-ups.
Tom acts more grown-up than Mary.
Tom acts more grown-up than Mary does.
I acted up to my principles.
ruЯ поступил согласно своим принципам. — marafon
Translations
3 languagesForms
acts up, acting up, acted up, acted upPhrasal verbs
3 phrasal verbsSynonyms
3 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb