What does “act” mean?
- 1
verbto do something, especially to deal with a situation
The government must act quickly to stop the flooding.
- 2
verbto perform a role in a play, film or TV show
She has acted in several movies.
- 3
nouna single thing that someone does
Returning the wallet was an act of kindness.
Act at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /ækt/ · AKT
How to use “act” correctly
“Act like” + noun describes behavior: “Stop acting like a child.” “Act as” means to do a job for a time: “She acted as our guide.”
Common phrases with “act”
- act fast
- act as
- an act of kindness
- act like
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Idioms with “act”
- Get your act together: Start organising yourself and behaving in a more effective way.
“act” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- allow verbA2to give someone permission to do something
- become verbA2to begin to be something
- carry verbA2to hold something and take it with you from one place to another
- catch verbA2to take hold of something that is moving through the air
- continue verbA2to keep doing something or keep happening without stopping
- cover verbA2to put something over something else to protect or hide it
- create verbA2to make something new exist
- develop verbA2to grow or change into something bigger, stronger or more advanced