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Meaning of act in English
Pronunciation
/ækt/
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Verb
act
Etymology
late Middle English: from Latin actus‘event, thing done’, act-‘done’, from the verb agere, reinforced by the French noun acte
Definitions
1.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
Examples
« think before you act »
« We must move quickly »
« The governor should act on the new energy bill »
« The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel »
Antonyms
refrain
forbear
2.
behave in a certain manner
Examples
« show a certain behavior »
« conduct or comport oneself »
« You should act like an adult »
« Don't behave like a fool »
« What makes her do this way? »
« The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people »
3.
play a role or part
Examples
« Gielgud played Hamlet »
« She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role »
« She played the servant to her husband's master »
4.
discharge one's duties
Examples
« She acts as the chair »
« In what capacity are you acting? »
5.
pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind
Examples
« He acted the idiot »
« She plays deaf when the news are bad »
6.
be suitable for theatrical performance
Examples
« This scene acts well »
7.
have an effect or outcome
Examples
« often the one desired or expected »
« The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought »
« How does your idea work in practice? »
« This method doesn't work »
« The breaks of my new car act quickly »
« The medicine works on »
8.
be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure
9.
behave unnaturally or affectedly
Examples
« She's just acting »
10.
perform on a stage or theater
Examples
« She acts in this play »
« He acted in 'Julius Caesar' »
« I played in 'A Christmas Carol' »
Noun
act
Definitions
1.
a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body
2.
something that people do or cause to happen
3.
a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet
4.
a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program
Examples
« he did his act three times every evening »
« she had a catchy little routine »
« it was one of the best numbers he ever did »
5.
a manifestation of insincerity
Examples
« he put on quite an act for her benefit »