Play up meaning
Play up is a phrasal verb that means to emphasize a quality or aspect so that it appears more important, usually for advantage.
- Past simple
- played up
- Past participle
- played up
- -ing form
- playing up
What play up means
B2
To emphasize a quality or aspect so that it appears more important, usually for advantage
The brochure plays up the hotel's location.
Similar phrasal verbs
With play: play on, play around, play at, play with, play along, play around with, play back, play off, play someone/something off against someone/something, play out.
With up: wake up, pick up, grow up, line up, make up, set up, put up, go up, bring up, mess up.
Common questions
What does play up mean?
To emphasize a quality or aspect so that it appears more important, usually for advantage.
What is the past tense of play up?
Played up, which is also its past participle.
Meanings and examples are written by Retite. The meanings follow Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0). Levels are based on the CEFR-J Wordlist and set by Retite.
