English verb: act up | |||
1. | act up (social) misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way | ||
Samples | The children acted up when they were not bored. | ||
Synonyms | carry on | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | misbehave, misconduct, misdemean | ||
2. | act up (perception) make itself felt as a recurring pain | ||
Samples | My arthritis is acting up again. | ||
Pattern of use | Something ----s. Somebody's (body part) ----s | ||
Broader (hypernym) | ache, hurt, smart | ||