1 C1 idiomatic informal
To suddenly become very angry or lose one's temper (Australian/NZ English).
"Dad arced up when he found out the car had a dent in it."
inseparable
arc up
C1 informal inseparable transitive/intransitive
To suddenly become angry or agitated, or to cause someone to become angry.
In plain English
Get angry very suddenly.
What does "arc up" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic informal
To cause someone to become angry or agitated.
"His sarcastic reply really arced her up."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To curve upward like an electrical arc — a sudden surge of energy.
Actually means
Get angry very suddenly.
Usage tip
Primarily Australian and New Zealand English. Describes a sudden burst of anger. Can be used intransitively ('he arced up') or transitively ('that comment arced him up'). Not widely understood outside Australian/NZ contexts.
Words that pair with "arc up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
anger temper argument comment situation crowd
How to conjugate "arc up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
arc up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
arcs up
he/she/it
Past simple
arced up
yesterday
Past participle
arced up
have + pp
-ing form
arcing up
continuous
Hear "arc up" in the wild
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