act up

act

 (ăkt)

n.

1. The process of doing or performing something: the act of thinking.

2.

a. Something done or performed; a deed: a charitable act.

b. Law Something done that has legal significance: a criminal act.

3. A statute or other law formally adopted by a legislative body: an act of Congress.

4. A formal written record of proceedings or transactions.

5. One of the major divisions of a play, opera, or film.

6.

a. A performance or entertainment usually forming part of a longer presentation: a juggling act; a magic act.

b. The actor or actors presenting such a performance: joined the act in Phoenix.

7. A manifestation of intentional or unintentional insincerity; a pose: put on an act.

v. act·ed, act·ing, acts

v.tr.

1. To play the part of; assume the dramatic role of: She plans to act Ophelia in summer stock.

2. To perform (a role) on the stage: act the part of the villain.

3.

a. To behave like or pose as; impersonate: Don't act the fool.

b. To behave in a manner suitable for: Act your age.

v.intr.

1. To behave or comport oneself: She acts like a born leader.

2. To perform in a dramatic role or roles.

3. To be suitable for theatrical performance: This scene acts well.

4. To behave affectedly or unnaturally; pretend.

5. To appear or seem to be: The dog acted ferocious.

6. To carry out an action: We acted immediately. The governor has not yet acted on the bill.

7. To operate or function in a specific way: His mind acts quickly.

8. To serve or function as a substitute for another: A coin can act as a screwdriver.

9. To produce an effect: waited five minutes for the anesthetic to act.

Phrasal Verbs:

act out

1. To perform in or as if in a play; represent dramatically: act out a story.

2. To realize in action: wanted to act out his theory.

3. To engage in socially inappropriate or impulsive behavior as a manifestation of psychological or emotional pain or turmoil.

act up

1. To misbehave.

2. To malfunction.

3. Informal To become active or troublesome after a period of quiescence: My left knee acts up in damp weather. Her arthritis is acting up again.

Idioms:

be in on the act

To be included in an activity.

clean up (one's) act Slang

To improve one's behavior or performance.

get into the act

To insert oneself into an ongoing activity, project, or situation.

get (one's) act together Slang

To get organized.

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[Middle English, from Old French acte, from Latin āctus, a doing, and āctum, a thing done, both from past participle of agere, to drive, do; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]

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ac′ta·bil′i·ty n.

act′a·ble adj.

Usage Note: Act and action both mean "a deed" and "the process of doing." However, other senses of act, such as "a decision made by a legislative body" and of action, such as "habitual or vigorous activity" show that act tends to refer to a deed while action tends to refer to the process of doing. Thus, people engage in sex acts but not sex actions. By the same token, one may want a piece of the action, but not a piece of the act. The demands of meaning or idiom often require one word or the other. In some cases, either can be used: my act (or action) was premature.

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ACT ¹

 (ā′sē-tē′)

A trademark for a standardized college entrance examination.

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ACT ²

abbr.

Australian Capital Territory

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

act up

vb

(intr, adverb) informal to behave in a troublesome way: the engine began to act up when we were miles from anywhere.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	act up - misbehave badly; act in a silly or improper way; "The children acted up when they were not bored" carry on misbehave, misconduct, misdemean - behave badly; "The children misbehaved all morning"
	2.	act up - make itself felt as a recurring pain; "My arthritis is acting up again" hurt, smart, ache - be the source of pain

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

act

noun

1. The process of doing:

action.

2. Something done:

action, deed, doing, thing, work.

3. The formal product of a legislative or judicial body:

assize, bill, enactment, law, legislation, lex, measure, statute.

4. A short theatrical piece within a larger production:

sketch, skit.

5. A display of insincere behavior:

acting, disguise, dissemblance, masquerade, pretense, sham, show, simulation.

verb

1. To conduct oneself in a specified way:

acquit, bear, behave, carry, comport, demean, deport, do, quit.

2. To behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of:

counterfeit, dissemble, fake, feign, play-act, pose, pretend, put on, sham, simulate.

3. To react in a specified way:

behave, function, operate, perform, work.

4. To perform the duties of another:

function, officiate, serve.

5. To play the part of:

do, enact, impersonate, perform, play, play-act, portray, represent.

6. To produce on the stage.Also used with out:

do, dramatize, enact, give, perform, present, put on, stage.

phrasal verb
act up

1. To behave in a rowdy, improper, or unruly fashion:

carry on, misbehave.

Informal: cut up, horse around.

2. To work improperly due to mechanical difficulties:

malfunction, misbehave.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

w>act up

vi (inf) → jdm Ärger machen; (person also) → Theater machen (inf); (to attract attention) → sich aufspielen; (machine) → verrücktspielen (inf); my back is acting up → mein Rücken macht mir Ärger

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007