cut up
High (literal); Medium (emotional); Low (behavioral).Neutral (literal); Informal (emotional/behavioral/critical).
Definition
Meaning
To cut something into smaller pieces.
To be emotionally distressed; to behave in a boisterously silly or disruptive manner (informal); to criticize harshly (US informal).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a phrasal verb, it is separable ('cut up the paper' / 'cut the paper up'). The adjective form ('cut up') is used predicatively after link verbs to describe emotional state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The meaning 'to behave in a silly, disruptive way' is primarily British. The meaning 'to criticize severely' is more common in American English.
Connotations
In both varieties, the emotional sense implies deep but often private distress. The behavioral sense (BrE) is often associated with children or class clowns.
Frequency
The literal sense is high-frequency in both. The emotional sense is moderately common. The behavioral sense is declining in AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[NP] cut up [NP][NP] cut [NP] upbe/become/feel cut up about [NP]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cut up rough (BrE: to become angry or aggressive)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; possible in informal criticism ('The boss cut up his proposal in the meeting').
Academic
Rare; mainly in literal descriptions of processes (e.g., biology, food science).
Everyday
Very common for food preparation and describing emotional states.
Technical
Used in cooking, crafting, and manufacturing contexts for the literal action.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you cut up the carrots for the stew?
- The children were cutting up in the back of the car.
- The report was cut up by the committee.
American English
- Please cut up the chicken before marinating it.
- The comedian started to cut up in front of the audience.
- The reviewer cut up the author's new novel.
adjective
British English
- He was really cut up about missing the wedding.
- She seemed quite cut up after the argument.
American English
- Don't be too cut up over the loss; we'll try again.
- He's still cut up about his dog passing away.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I can cut up an apple for you.
- She cut up the bread.
- He was cut up about the bad news.
- You need to cut up the onions finely for this recipe.
- The kids were cutting up during the lesson and the teacher got angry.
- She felt really cut up when her friend moved away.
- After the accident, the car was so badly damaged it had to be cut up for scrap.
- He's still cut up about not getting the promotion, even though it's been months.
- The film was cut up by critics for its weak plot.
- The journalist's exposé was mercilessly cut up by media analysts for its factual inaccuracies.
- Despite putting on a brave face, she was deeply cut up by the acrimonious divorce proceedings.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a chef who is CUT UP (emotionally) because he has to CUT UP too many onions.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL PAIN IS PHYSICAL CUTTING/DISMEMBERMENT.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'резать вверх'. For 'cut up vegetables' use 'нарезать овощи'. For 'I was cut up' use 'я был расстроен/огорчён'.
- Do not confuse with 'cut out' (вырезать) or 'cut off' (отрезать).
Common Mistakes
- *I cut up. (missing object for transitive sense)
- *She is a cut up person. (adjective is predicative only, not attributive)
- *He cut up the meat into small. (missing 'pieces' or similar noun).
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence does 'cut up' mean 'to criticize severely'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The literal meaning is neutral. The meanings related to emotion, silly behaviour, or harsh criticism are informal.
No. The adjective 'cut up' is only used after a verb like 'be', 'feel', or 'look' (predicative). You cannot say 'a cut up person'; say 'a person who is cut up' or 'an upset person'.
They are often interchangeable for food, but 'chop' often implies a quicker, rougher action with a knife, while 'cut up' is more general. 'Chop' is also used for wood.
The past tense and past participle of the verb 'cut' is 'cut'. So: 'Yesterday, I cut up the old clothes for rags.' 'She has cut up all the cardboard.'