to act
- verb
- /ækt/
- "No use acting like everybody else," he told Mary with a smile.
Examples
-
Banquets play such an inordinately large part in our lives; they are the stage where we act out our reigns.
Fiction book (1998) -
We know how we have to act in that scene because of the way it is set up and the pace.
-
Preaching does not imply speaking words only, but acting accordingly to their station and showing a good example.
Blog text (15) -
The actors need to act convincingly to engage the audience during the performance.
-
In the final scene of the play, the lead character must act with great emotion to convey the tragedy.
-
To portray her character authentically, she had to act as if she were living in that time period.
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 Well
Surface Forms
Etymology
Act comes from the Latin agere, 'to do', and shares a root with action and actor. So when we say a scene 'acts' well we mean it 'does' or works well on stage, like a good performance.