to act like an asshat
- idiom
- Offensive
:
portarse como un imbécil (vulgar)
- She decided to stop acting like an asshat and started taking responsibility for her actions.
Examples
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He always acts like an asshat when he drinks too much at parties.
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If you continue to act like an asshat, no one will want to be around you.
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Who cares, act like an asshat, women call you a creepoid, social isolation.
Blog text (19)
Synonyms
9
8.4
To behave rudely or meanly toward other people
7
8.5
To act in a way that makes you look foolish in front of others
3
8.0
To behave in a silly or embarrassing way to get attention
1
9.9
Behave rudely and selfishly, ignoring other people's feelings
1
9.9
To act in a foolish way
1
9.9
To behave in a silly or clumsy way
1
9.9
To behave in a rude, stupid way
1
9.9
To act rudely and annoy other people
1
9.9
Act in a rude, foolish way that annoys or upsets other people
Behave in a very rude and insulting way to other people
Behave in a very rude and thoughtless way that upsets other people
To behave very rudely and make other people angry or upset
To behave in a very foolish and rude way
To behave in a rude and hurtful way to other people
Behave rudely and selfishly and annoy other people
To act in a rude and unhelpful way
To behave in a rude and annoying way
Behave in a rude, annoying, and foolish way toward other people
Behave in a silly, clumsy way to make people laugh at you
To behave rudely and foolishly in a way that annoys or embarrasses people
To behave rudely or foolishly in a way that annoys others
To ignore good advice and behave foolishly
Behave in a silly, clumsy way
To behave in a silly, awkward way that looks foolish
Behave in a very childish way as an adult
To behave foolishly or clumsily
To behave in a silly or wild way that makes people laugh
To treat other people rudely and think only about yourself
To behave in a rude and annoying way
To behave loudly and show off to impress other people in an annoying way
Act in a silly or stupid way
Act in a rude, unkind way toward other people
To act in a rude, annoying way that other people dislike
Behave in a silly or foolish way
To behave in a silly, rude way and break rules
To behave in a very strange or wild way
To behave in a silly or annoying way
To behave in a silly and immature way
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'act' (to behave) + 'like' (similar to) + 'asshat' (an obnoxious, foolish person), so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer it means to behave like an obnoxious person. The expression uses a very common simile/comparative pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, though 'asshat' is coarse slang and register should be noted.
Etymology
The slang act like an asshat may come from the silly image of a person wearing their ass as a hat, a rude, absurd picture that makes someone look foolish and unpleasant. That's why the phrase is used to say someone is 'behaving in a foolish, obnoxious, or contemptible manner'.