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actorish

actorish

8.2
Showing strong, often fake feelings in a dramatic way to get attention
  • adjective
  • /ˈæktərɪʃ/
  • Informal
translation icon : teatral
  • He gave an actorish bow after telling his story at the party.

Examples

  • The teacher found his actorish answers amusing but a bit distracting in class.

  • Her actorish reactions made everyone laugh during the rehearsal.

  • Don't be so actorish!

  • Her performance was a bit actorish for my taste.

  • The play's lead was so actorish that her every gesture drew attention from the audience.

  • In his speech, the politician's actorish flair made it hard to determine his true intentions.

  • She adopted an actorish tone while reading the dramatic poetry, capturing the audience's attention.

Synonyms

dramatic
vsactorish
358 3.6

Very noticeable and meant to get attention, like a long pause or strong gesture

is narrower, focusing on performer behaviour and skill rather than showiness
theatrical
vsactorish
98 4.8

Related to the theatre or showing strong feeling in a dramatic way like an actor on stage

is broader, including genuine performance skill as well as showy ways
stagey
vsactorish
1 8.7

Not natural and overly dramatic, like acting in a play

also covers genuine performance ability not only artificial manner
stagy
vsactorish
1 8.1

Being too dramatic and not natural, like acting on a stage

can also imply real performing skill, not just artificial display
actressy
vsactorish
  • Informal
8.4

Showing loud, dramatic behaviour that seems fake

includes real performance skill as well as showy manner
mannerist
vsactorish
8.9

Having exaggerated gestures and an unnatural style

places more emphasis on performance skill and showy presence

How Theatrical

histrionic
6 8.7
actorish
  • Informal
8.2
mannered
47 7.9

Surface Forms

actorish positive

Morphology

actorish = actor (transparent) = actor + ish

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'actor' with the productive suffix '-ish', yielding 'like an actor' or 'theatrical', which is readily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Actorish comes from actor (a person who performs) and the ending -ish which means 'like', as in childish. So, actorish means 'like an actor', that is, showing acting skill or a theatrical way of behaving.