Openly rebellious; angry. Originally (sixteenth century) this expression meant literally to take up arms against an enemy. It was being used figuratively by about 1700; Jonathan Swift had it in …

(Definition of be up in arms from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Up in arms'? Roused; incensed. What's the origin of the phrase 'Up in arms'? The original usage of ‘up in arms’ was entirely literal. To be ‘in arms’ or ‘at arms’ was to be equipped with weapons and armour. The first known use of ‘up in arms’ in print is in Arthur Golding’s translation of Lyfe of Shatilion, 1576:

The phrase up in arms means that someone is angry about something; they are upset. Example: Larry is sick and his doctor told him that he needs to have surgery. The cost of the procedure is quite high, so he and his family are up in arms about the whole situation.

UP IN ARMS definition: angry or upset: . Learn more.

If people are up in arms about something, they are very angry about it and are protesting strongly against it.

up in arms. U. up in arms. Meaning | Synonyms. angry; rebellious; eagerly oppose or protest something; Example Sentences. My mom was up in arms about the new salary cuts rumoured to be put in place. The students were up in arms when they heard that their breaktime would be taken away due to poor behaviour.

Up in arms means to be extremely upset about something, to be angry, to be appalled, to be incensed. If someone is up in arms he is highly agitated about something or shocked by something and is usually vocal about it.

UP IN ARMS definition: indignant ; prepared to protest strongly | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

The phrase up in arms is another way to describe people who are infuriated. It often describes those who are verbally or physically showing their anger, rather than those dealing with their anger in a quiet, personal way.