act

1. verb

1)

the government must act to remedy the situation

Syn:

take action, take steps, take measures, move, react

2)

he was acting on the orders of the party leader

Syn:

follow, act in accordance with, obey, heed, comply with; fulfill, meet, discharge

3)

a real estate agent acting for a prospective buyer

Syn:

represent, act on behalf of; stand in for, fill in for, deputize for, take the place of

4)

Alison began to act oddly

Syn:

behave, conduct oneself, react; formal comport oneself

5)

the scents act as a powerful aphrodisiac

Syn:

operate, work, function, serve

6)

the drug acted directly on the blood vessels

Syn:

affect, have an effect on, work on; have an impact on, impact on, influence

7)

he acted in a highly successful film

Syn:

perform, play a part, play-act, take part, appear; informal tread the boards, ham it up

8)

we laughed, but most of us were just acting

Syn:

pretend, play-act, put it on, fake it, feign it, dissemble, dissimulate

2. noun

1)

acts of kindness

a criminal act

Syn:

deed, action, feat, exploit, move, gesture, performance, undertaking, stunt, operation; achievement, accomplishment

2)

the act raised the tax on tobacco

Syn:

law, decree, statute, bill, act of Congress, enactment, resolution, edict, dictum, ruling, measure; ordinance

3)

the first act of the play

Syn:

division, section, subsection, part, segment

4)

a music hall act

Syn:

performance, routine, number, sketch, skit, shtick, turn

5)

it was all just an act

Syn:

pretense, show, front, facade, masquerade, charade, posture, pose, affectation, sham, fake; informal put-on

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- act up