Act definition

Act as a verb

1. perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

   "think before you act"

   Same sense: move

2. behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself

   "You should act like an adult"

   Same sense: do, carry, bear, conduct, behave, deport, acquit, comport

3. play a role or part

   "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"

   Same sense: play, represent

4. discharge one's duties

   "She acts as the chair"

5. pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind

   "He acted the idiot"

   Same sense: play, act as

6. be suitable for theatrical performance

   "This scene acts well"

7. have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected

   "The breaks of my new car act quickly"

   Same sense: work

8. behave unnaturally or affectedly

   "She's just acting"

   Same sense: pretend, dissemble

9. perform on a stage or theater

   "She acts in this play"

   Same sense: play, roleplay, playact

Act as a noun

10. a legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body

    Same sense: enactment

11. something that people do or cause to happen

    Same sense: human action, human activity, deed

12. a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet

13. a short performance that is part of a longer program

    "he did his act three times every evening"

    Same sense: number, bit, turn, routine

14. a manifestation of insincerity

    "he put on quite an act for her benefit"

Synonyms and antonyms

• move definition
• do
• carry
• bear
• conduct
• behave
• deport
• acquit
• comport
• play definition
• represent
• act as
• work definition
• pretend
• dissemble
• roleplay
• playact
• enactment
• human action
• human activity
• deed
• number definition
• bit definition
• turn definition

Opposite: refrain.

All synonyms of act, sense by sense

How to say act

Act has 1 syllable and rhymes with fact. Syllable counts and rhymes come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.

Words that rhyme with act

• fact
• contact
• contract
• impact
• attacked
• exact
• packed
• backed
• attract
• react
• abstract
• interact

ACT in word games

Scrabble

5

Words With Friends

6

Anagrams

1

Is ACT a valid Scrabble word? Yes, it is in the ENABLE list most word games use. Check ACT in the word checker, or unscramble ACT to see its 1 anagram and the shorter words in its letters.