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to act up
[phrase form: act]
01
to cause regular discomfort or pain, often related to a physical illness or health issue
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
state verb
regular
inseparable
particle
up
base verb
act
present tense
act up
3rd person singular
acts up
present participle
acting up
past simple
acted up
past participle
acted up
Examples
His old knee injury acts up every time it rains, causing him pain.
02
to behave in an improper manner, often disregarding rules or social norms
Examples
During the class, some students tend to act up and disrupt the lesson.
03
(of mechanical devices, technology, or equipment) to not work properly
Examples
My old computer tends to act up whenever I run multiple applications.
04
to be temporarily assigned to a higher position within an organization or role
Dialect
British
BritishExamples
Due to the manager 's illness, I had to act up as the team leader for a week.
