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What does ‘act’ mean?
The word ‘act‘ can mean many different things. As a verb, the meaning is to take action and behave in a certain way.
For example:
- We need to act now if we want to save the planet. (take action)
- The children are acting silly. (behaving)
Act is a regular verb. The past tense and past participle is acted.
phrasal verbs with act list
Phrasal verbs with “act” are super common in English, and you’ve probably heard them without even realizing it! Whether it’s “act out” when someone’s being dramatic or “act on” when you’re following advice, these little phrases can completely change the meaning of “act.” This list is here to break down the most popular ones, making them easy to understand and use in everyday conversations.
Let’s dive in and see how many you already know!
act against
meaning – take action opposing or countering something or someone
example – Tony acted against his better judgement and drove after having 3 beers.
act as
meaning – do the same function as a person or thing
example – The heart acts as a pump to transport blood around the body.
act for
meaning – represent someone
example – The people chose Mr. Smith to act for them in parliament.
act in
meaning – perform a role in a play, movie, or production
example – Sarah has acted in several West End shows.
act on
meaning – follow advice/take action
example – He acted on friend’s advice and left before there was trouble.
act out
meaning – express through actions or words
example – I’ve acted out 10 films and no one has guessed any. I hate charades!
act up
meaning – misbehave/malfunction
example – The machine acted up yesterday and I couldn’t complete the order.
act up to
meaning – doing what is required of you, act differently/put on a show for the audience
example – The kids started acting up to the cameras when they realised they were being filmed.
act upon
meaning – follow advice/take action
example – Lilly acted upon her friend’s advice and went to the doctor.
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Click the links below to learn more phrasal verbs with pictures or go to the main phrasal verbs groups page to see the full list.