to act
- verb
- /ækt/
- I need you to not act like that.
- way of acting
- act differently
- act irresponsibly
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubePeople who don't look or act like people anymore.
- People who don't look or act like people anymore.
- He's not even trying to act like it's not a bribe.
- I just threw you the keys and act like I didn't see.
- This lady is just acting like an entitled bitch.
- Why presume that boys should act like defective girls?
- See, people think that they can't act until they become confident.
- And don't sit there and act like you're so innocent.
- I hate those ladies when they are over acting to be perfect.
- Now for years after that I acted like it was all resolved.
- What why does psychopaths act like they do?
- Yeah, I may have started this, but let's not act like you don't feel like this.
- They, when you buy a car, still kind of act like they own the car.
- And right now when this human is in pain, I'm acting so inhumanely.
- Not just pretend and not just act, but be them.
- That's like that's like how your lady act with her wig on.
Examples
-
She was just acting to impress her colleagues at the meeting.
-
And don't sit there and act like you're so innocent.
-
They, when you buy a car, still kind of act like they own the car.
-
Why are you acting like this?
-
Follow the kids around the track, make some notes, act like an engineer, look cool.
-
I act like I'm a tough guy, but I'm not.
-
Soaps help me learn how I'm supposed to act in different situations and places.
Academic text (1999) -
Such trustworthiness comes if we act according to the adages.
-
Miller fled the state, but authorities found Abdur Rahman at work, acting as if nothing had happened.
Academic text (2011) -
If you keep acting like a child, no one will take you seriously.
Synonyms
Behave in a way to trick or amuse someone
To act as if something is true when it is not
Act in a particular way
To act in a proper or polite way
To pretend or claim something is true when it is not
To behave in a particular way in a situation
Pretend to feel something, like surprise or interest, to trick other people
To hide true feelings or intentions by pretending to feel something else
To act out a scene to practice or show how something happens
To pretend to be a person in a story on stage or with friends
Idioms
- Informal
To be organized, prepared, and able to manage tasks and problems
- Offensive
Behave in a very dramatic, demanding way to get special treatment
- Offensive
To behave in a greedy and messy way, often when eating with others
- Offensive
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
- Offensive
To behave in a silly way without thinking when nervous or tired
- 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
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
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
Phrasal Verbs
- Offensive
To do too much to please someone you like to get their attention or approval
- Offensive
Behave in a dishonest or rude way that makes other people feel uncomfortable
Compounds
- NSFW
A violent act against ordinary people to frighten others for political, religious or other beliefs
- NSFW
Planned violent action to make people afraid for political, religious or other ideas
- 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
- UK
A former English law that required crowds to leave when a local official read a formal announcement
- Informal
A situation where a person manages several important tasks at once, often with difficulty
- Formal
A U.S. federal law that punishes organized crime and lets authorities seize money and property
A United States law that requires courts to approve spying on foreign people or groups
A law that puts a paid official stamp on newspapers and legal papers in the American colonies which causes protests
United States law from 1970 used to fight organized crime by giving stronger punishments
A United States law that makes workplaces safer by setting safety rules and making sure employers follow them
- Offensive
A nickname for a law that extends copyright to help large media companies like Disney
- Formal
Former US law that let manufacturers require shops to sell goods at a minimum price
How Sincere
Surface Forms
Etymology
Act comes from the Latin agere, 'to do', and is related to actor and action. So to act a certain way is to 'do' a kind of behaviour, and when it is not genuine it feels like a small performance.