1 A2 neutral
To cut something into pieces or smaller parts.
"He cut up the vegetables and added them to the pot."
separable
cut up
B1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
To cut something into small pieces; to upset or distress someone emotionally; to behave in a silly or mischievous way.
In plain English
To slice something into pieces, to feel or make someone feel very sad and upset, or to clown around.
What does "cut up" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic informal
To cause someone to feel deeply upset, distressed, or grieved (usually passive: 'be cut up').
"He was really cut up about losing his job after fifteen years with the company."
separable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
American informal: to behave in a silly, mischievous, or comical way.
"The kids were cutting up at the back of the class and the teacher had to stop the lesson."
inseparable
4 B2 idiomatic informal
British informal: to drive dangerously by suddenly moving in front of another vehicle.
"A white van cut me up on the roundabout, nearly causing an accident."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To cut something so that it ends up in multiple pieces.
Actually means
To slice something into pieces, to feel or make someone feel very sad and upset, or to clown around.
Usage tip
The 'emotionally upset' sense is usually passive or adjectival: 'she was really cut up about it'. The 'clowning around' sense is mainly American informal English. The literal sense is very common in cooking.
Words that pair with "cut up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
vegetables paper about the news clown emotionally grief
How to conjugate "cut up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cut up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cuts up
he/she/it
Past simple
cut up
yesterday
Past participle
cut up
have + pp
-ing form
cutting up
continuous
Hear "cut up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cut up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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