play up meaning

UK /pleɪ ʌp/ US /pleɪ ʌp/ 2 syllables

play up (verb): move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent.

play up has 2 meanings in this dictionary.

play up as a verb

  1. move into the foreground to make more visible or prominent
    • The introduction highlighted the speaker's distinguished career in linguistics

    Synonyms: foreground, highlight, spotlight

    Opposite: play down

    Type of: bring out

  2. ingratiate oneself to; often with insincere behavior
    • She is playing up to the chairman

    Synonyms: cozy up, cotton up, shine up, sidle up, suck up

    Type of: ingratiate

How to pronounce play up

play up is pronounced /pleɪ ʌp/ in British English and /pleɪ ʌp/ in American English. It has 2 syllables.

More about play up on Wikipedia.