cut up
[verb]
Synonyms: criticize, censure, condemn, denounce, knock, pan, rap, reprehend, reprobate, skin, act up, carry on, horse, horseplay

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Related Idioms: cut a dido (or shine), cut up rough, kick up a shindy, raise Cain (or Ned), whoop it up
Related Words: caper, cavort, romp, clown, show off, roughhouse, misbehave

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. cut up phrasal verb (see also cut)

1. CUT INTO PIECES cut something ↔ up to cut something into small pieces:
Could you cut the pizza up, please?
cut something ↔ up into
He cut the paper up into little pieces.

2. DRIVING cut somebody/something ↔ up British English to suddenly drive in front of a moving vehicle in a dangerous way:
Some idiot cut me up on the motorway.

3. BEHAVE BADLY American English informal to behave in a noisy or rude way

4. cut up rough British English informal to react in an angry or violent way:
Careful how you approach him – he can cut up a bit rough if he’s got a mind to.

5. CRITICIZE cut somebody ↔ up informal to criticize someone in an unpleasant way
⇒ cut up

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. ˌcut ˈup , cut-up adjective [not before noun]

1. informal very upset about something that has happened
cut up about
He was very cut up about Stephen dying.

2. be badly cut up to have a lot of injuries because you have been in an accident or fight

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ˈcut-up noun [countable] American English informal
someone who makes other people laugh by doing amusing things, especially in a situation when they should not do this

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

cut up
v.
1. informal To hurt the feelings of; wound.
■ Usually used in the passive.
John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring.
2. slang To act funny or rough; clown,
Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching.
At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair.
Compare: FOOL AROUND.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲