Play up Meaning in English
expression
ˈpɫeɪ/ /ˈəp
PLAY-uhp
plˈeɪ/ /ˈʌp
play-UP
Definition
'Play up' means to behave badly, make trouble, exaggerate something, or, for machines, to not work properly.
Usage & Nuances
Informal and British English. Used for children's bad behavior, machines acting up, or exaggerating symptoms/problems. Not common in American English. Phrases: 'My knee's playing up', 'The kids are playing up', 'He played up his injury.'
Spanish: portarse mal - exagerar - funcionar malPortuguese (BR): aprontar - exagerar - dar problemaPortuguese (PT): portar-se mal - exagerar - dar problemasChinese (Simplified): 捣乱 - 夸大其词 - 出毛病Chinese (Traditional): 搗蛋 - 誇大其詞 - 出問題Hindi: शरारत करना - बढ़ाकर बताना - दिक्कत करनाArabic: يسيء التصرف - يضخم (الأمر) - يتعطلBengali: দুষ্টুমি করা - ঝামেলা করা - সমস্যা করা (যন্ত্রপাতি)Russian: капризничать - шалить - выделываться - барахлить (о технике)Japanese: 悪さをする - 調子が悪い（機械） - 大げさに言うVietnamese: quậy phá - hoạt động không bình thường (máy móc) - phóng đại (sự việc)Korean: 말썽을 부리다 - (기계가) 이상하게 작동하다 - 과장하다Turkish: yaramazlık yapmak - sorun çıkarmak - abartmak - arıza yapmak (makine)Urdu: شرارت کرنا - مسئلہ کرنا (مشین) - بڑھا چڑھا کر پیش کرناIndonesian: berulah - bermasalah (mesin) - melebih-lebihkan
Example Sentences
The children began to play up during the lesson.
basic
My printer is playing up again.
basic
He tends to play up his injuries to get attention.
basic
If your stomach keeps playing up, you should see a doctor.
natural
The twins always play up when they're tired.
natural
Sorry, my phone is playing up and won’t let me answer calls.
natural