act up
Go on fritz
To act up is to misbehave or cause trouble.
Children act up when they're bored or seeking attention: The kids always act up when we have company.
Machines and body parts act up when they malfunction or cause problems: My knee has been acting up lately.
The phrase can also mean to become more assertive or defiant, particularly in activist contexts: ACT UP was a group that acted up to demand AIDS research funding.
Minor system fault
- breakdownFailure or decomposition
- failureLack of success
- bugCrawling creature or defect
- errorFault in communication
fritz · hiccup · crash · freeze · outage · short-circuit · overheat · conk out
Uncontrolled display of frustration
- naughtyMildly disobedient
- troublemakerOne who creates discord
- disobedientRefusing to follow orders
- unrulyDifficult to control
mischievous · disruptive · rowdy · boisterous · undisciplined · bratty · impish · prankster
Protective tissue response
- irritationMild anger or inflammation
- rednessCrimson-hued state
- swellingAbnormal tissue enlargement
- aggravationState of being vexed
exacerbation · recurrence · reactivation · worsening · symptoms · outbreak · acute · soreness
glitch
Minor system fault
error · fritz · hiccup · crash · freeze · outage · short-circuit · overheat · conk out · sputter
tantrum
Uncontrolled display of frustration
- naughtyMildly disobedient
- troublemakerOne who creates discord
- disobedientRefusing to follow orders
unruly · mischievous · disruptive · rowdy · boisterous · undisciplined · bratty · impish · prankster · wayward
inflammation
Protective tissue response
- irritationMild anger or inflammation
- rednessCrimson-hued state
- swellingAbnormal tissue enlargement
aggravation · exacerbation · recurrence · reactivation · worsening · symptoms · outbreak · acute · soreness · tenderness
- misbehaviormisbehave, misbehavior, mischief, misconduct, naughty