Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

act up

/ækt ˈʌp/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.27 in modern English

Syllables: ac-t up
IPA: /ækt ˈʌp/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To misbehave; to cause trouble.

Intransitive verb

verb

To perform the duties of an appointment senior to that actually held; to deputise for a superior.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"My allergies act up during hay fever season."
"Children may act up in class in an effort to get attention."
"My car started acting up after I drove through that huge puddle."
"Acting up is always recommended when you find yourself under a new boss."
"A few months through my contract, my clinical supervisor said that a registrar was leaving the post early for a research job, and asked if I’d be interested in acting up on the rota."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ækt ˈʌp/
British English: /ækt ˈʌp/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

acts up (present, singular) acting up (participle, present) acted up (participle, past) acted up (past)

Phrases

throw a tantrum

Frequently Paired Words

throw a tantrum kick up

Synonyms

carry on act out play up

Rhymes With

up close up what's up cup fucked up gross up yup lemon drop amp up pup sup dup

Questions

How do you pronounce act up?: The recorded pronunciation is /ækt ˈʌp/.
What does act up mean?: To misbehave; to cause trouble.

How to pronounce act up

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “act up”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ækt ˈʌp/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “act up”.
Repeat and practice — Say “act up” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.