act
- noun
- /ækt/
- It's just, I don't know, the whole act of it just seems so wrong, right?
- put on an act
It's just, I don't know, the whole act of it just seems so wrong, right?
- It's just, I don't know, the whole act of it just seems so wrong, right?
- Do you not think that was all just an act to cover her arse?
- And you're just like, is this an act?
Examples
-
Jenkins again put on an act of denying any problems before finally breaking down and weeping.
Academic text (2012) -
"But listen, I put on a little act sometimes, but it really does stink here."
Fiction book (1990) -
So for me now when I got upset, it feels like an act, even though it's not.
-
And yet I accepted it as, one would accept an act performed by a very dear friend.
-
5 grand says she would never fall for your act.
-
I fell for the guy's act.
-
He puts on a good act.
-
An illusion, an act, a role you've been playing every day since you can remember?
-
Single acts of humanitarianism were what she brought to so many people's lives that she shone a light on their plight.
-
Her smile was just an act; she was truly upset inside.
Synonyms
Play when people imagine things that are not real
Pretending to be someone, for example in a play or to get attention
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
To behave in a greedy and messy way, often when eating with others
- Offensive
Behave in a very dramatic, demanding way to get special treatment
- Informal
To be organized, prepared, and able to manage tasks and problems
- Offensive
To wait for someone else to have a problem so you can gain from it
- Offensive
Behave loudly and show off, for example by shouting or flashing money in Britain
- Offensive
To behave loudly and show off to impress other people in an annoying way
- Offensive
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
- Offensive
Behave in a sad, lonely way that makes you look awkward with other people
- Offensive
Behave in a very rude and thoughtless way that upsets other people
- Offensive
To behave in a silly way without thinking when nervous or tired
- Offensive
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
Compounds
- Informal
A situation of managing two or more important things at the same time, like work and family
- Specialized
A natural event like a flood or earthquake that cannot be prevented by people
- NSFW
Planned violent action to make people afraid for political, religious or other ideas
- NSFW
A violent act against ordinary people to frighten others for political, religious or other beliefs
- Informal
A situation where a person manages several important tasks at once, often with difficulty
A United States law that requires courts to approve spying on foreign people or groups
- Formal
A U.S. federal law that punishes organized crime and lets authorities seize money and property
A law that puts a paid official stamp on newspapers and legal papers in the American colonies which causes protests
A United States law that makes workplaces safer by setting safety rules and making sure employers follow them
United States law from 1970 used to fight organized crime by giving stronger punishments
- Formal
Former US law that let manufacturers require shops to sell goods at a minimum price
- Offensive
A nickname for a law that extends copyright to help large media companies like Disney
- UK
A former English law that required crowds to leave when a local official read a formal announcement
How Insincere
Surface Forms
Etymology
Act comes from the Latin agere and actus, which mean 'to do' and 'a doing', and it is the same root as action and actor. So when someone 'puts on an act' they are doing a small performance, which is why the word means an insincere or pretended behavior.