Meaning of act in English
Table of contents
Pronunciation
/ækt/US accent
UK accent
to browse different examples of pronunciation.Verb
actEtymology
late Middle English: from Latin actus‘event, thing done’, act-‘done’, from the verb agere, reinforced by the French noun acteDefinitions
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
Derived terms
- 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 »
Derived terms
- 4. discharge one's duties
Examples
- « She acts as the chair »
- « In what capacity are you acting? »
Derived terms
- 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 »
Derived terms
- 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 »
Derived terms
- 8. be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure
Derived terms
- 9. behave unnaturally or affectedly
Examples
- « She's just acting »
Derived terms
- 10. perform on a stage or theater
Examples
- « She acts in this play »
- « He acted in 'Julius Caesar' »
- « I played in 'A Christmas Carol' »
Derived terms
Noun
actDefinitions
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
Derived terms
- 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 »
Derived terms
- 5. a manifestation of insincerity
Examples
- « he put on quite an act for her benefit »
Derived terms
Famous quotes
- « The Declaration of Independence says when government fails, the people have the right to replace it. Well, New York State government has failed and the people have the right, indeed the people have the the people have the obligation, to act. » Andrew Cuomo
- « People think that if you look fairly reasonable, you can't possibly act, and as I only care about acting, I think beauty can be a great handicap. » Vivien Leigh
- « Music is the social act of communication among people, a gesture of friendship, the strongest there is. » Malcolm Arnold
- « The sense of humor has other things to do than to make itself conspicuous in the act of laughter. » Alice Meynell
- « One of the things I had to learn as a writer was to trust the act of writing. To put myself in the position of writing to find out what I was writing. » E. L. Doctorow