act

Word family  noun act action ≠ inaction activity ≠ inactivity reaction interaction overacting adjective acting active ≠ inactive verb act ≠ overact adverb actively

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++act1 /ækt/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  action 行为 [countable] one thing that you do 行为，行动，动作，举动 The new president’s first act should be to end the war. 新总统的第一步行动应当是结束战争。 a thoughtless act 轻率的举动act of (doing) something an act of violence 暴力行为 her many acts of kindness 她的许多善行 The act of writing a list can help to calm you down. 列清单可以帮助你冷静下来。in the act of doing something (=at the moment that you are doing something) 正在做某事的时候 Lindsay paused in the act of putting down the phone. 林赛放下电话时停顿了一下。 RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc thing to do rather than a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc act. 在日常英语中，人们一般说a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc thing to do，而不说a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc act。2  law 法律 (also Act) [countable] a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament or Congress 〔由议会或国会正式通过的〕法令，法案 the Housing and Community Development Act of 1977 1977年《住房和社区发展法》 an act of Parliament 议会法令3  pretending 假装 [singular] insincere behaviour in which you pretend to have a particular kind of feeling or to be a particular kind of person 装模作样，装腔作势 Mike played the loving husband in front of the children but it was all an act. 迈克在孩子面前表现得像个体贴的丈夫，但那都是假装的。 Be natural. Don’t feel you have to put on an act. 自然点，不必装模作样。4  get your act together informal to become more organized and behave in a more effective way, especially in order to achieve something 更有条理些，加把劲 You need to get your act together if you’re going to find the right house to buy. 要想买到合适的房子，你得加把劲。5  play 戏剧 [countable] one of the main parts into which a stage play, opera etc is divided 〔戏剧、歌剧等的〕一幕 I arrived at the theatre late and missed the first act. 我到剧场时晚了，错过了第一幕。 the beginning of Act 3 第三幕开场6  performance 演出 [countable] a short performance on stage or television by someone who plays music or tells jokes 〔舞台或电视上的〕一段表演 The argument was just part of their act. 争吵只是他们表演的一部分。7  performer 演员 [countable] a performer or a group of performers who perform together 演出者 The band is one of many acts that have been booked for the concert. 音乐会已邀约多方参演，这个乐队是其中之一。8  a hard/tough etc act to follow someone who does such an excellent job that it would be difficult for someone doing the same job after them to be as good 令人望尘莫及的人 He has been a very successful captain and will be a hard act to follow. 他是位非常出色的队长，后来者将很难与之比肩。9. get in on the act informalTAKE PART/BE INVOLVED to take part in an activity that someone else has started, especially in order to get a share of the advantages for yourself 〔尤指为得到好处而〕插手，参与〔他人发起的活动〕10. act of God DNan event that is caused by natural forces, such as a storm, flood, or fire, which you cannot prevent or control 天灾，自然灾害，不可抗力11. act of worship RRan occasion when people pray together and show their respect for God 拜祭；祈祷12. balancing/juggling act a situation in which you are trying to do several different types of work at the same time 同时兼顾好几个方面的工作，力图面面俱到13. do a disappearing/vanishing act to be impossible to find when you are needed 〔在别人需要时〕消失，开溜 → catch somebody in the act at catch1(3), → clean up your act at clean upn COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: one thing that you donounsan act of violence/aggressionIncidents of sexual harassment and acts of violence against women were on the increase.an act of kindness/loveWe were grateful for her act of kindness.an act of faith (=when you do something that shows you trust someone completely)The signing of the treaty with Britain was an act of faith.an act of terrorism (=when someone kills people or bombs a place for political reasons )It was the worst act of terrorism in US history.an act of vandalism (=when someone deliberately damages things, especially public property )These mindless acts of vandalism affect the whole community. an act of defiance (=when you refuse to obey or respect someone)As an act of defiance Leigh dropped out of high school a month before graduation.an act of courage/braveryThe men were awarded the medals for acts of courage.adjectivesa criminal/illegal/unlawful actStarting the fire was a highly irresponsible criminal act.a violent/aggressive actWe will track down those responsible for this violent act.terrorist actsterrorists acts like the Oklahoma City bombinga cowardly act (=not at all brave)The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists.a heroic act (=very brave)Ordinary people sometimes find themselves performing heroic acts.a deliberate/conscious actClearly this was a deliberate act of vandalism.a symbolic act (=something you do to express an idea or feeling)The Tibetan climber will pass the Olympic flame to his Chinese partner in a symbolic act of friendship.verbscommit an act formal (=do something wrong or illegal)Anyone committing an illegal act deserves to be punished.perform an act (=do something, especially something difficult or useful)The nurses performed many small acts of kindness.n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament or Congressverbspass an actOnce Parliament has passed an act, it becomes the law of the land.introduce an actIn 1961, before the Divorce Law Reform Act was introduced, the divorce rate was only 2.1%. amend an act (=make small changes)In 1978 the act was amended to make the earliest mandatory retirement age 70. repeal an act (=officially end it)The Act was repealed by the incoming Labour government.an act becomes lawIn the 40 years since the Abortion Act became law there have been repeated attempts to amend or repeal it. an act comes into forceSince the act came into force, all public buildings must have disabled access. an act prohibits somethingSection 47 of the Act prohibits the making of misleading statements to the police.

Examples from the Corpus

act• a one-act play• We condemn all acts of violence, no matter what the reason.• Tony tries to be so macho, but it's just an act.• Saving the boys from the river was an act of great courage.• an act of Congress• He was injured in a circus act that went wrong.• I recently saw a circus act with contortionists folding themselves in amazing ways.• We used to do a comedy act together.• Kinison's outrageous comedy act• a criminal act• The festival will be an all-day event featuring a lot of different acts.• One of his final acts was to take Britain's Nigel Mansell from Williams.• When her act split up, he offered her a permanent studio within the premises where she could run her own classes.• Part of his act involves dressing up as a woman.• In Act 2, Ross and Diane get married.• Naming and shaming remains an option should the company not clean up its act.• A lawful act such as a killing in self-defence is not an unlawful act for this purpose.• Our next act is a young singer all the way from Dallas, Texas.• The whole nation is very grateful for the numerous acts of kindness rendered in this time of crisis.• Nicasio gave Cecilia poisoned water, believing she would reveal his perfidious acts.• the Civil Rights Act• the 1991 Prevention of Terrorism Act• The act of physically putting the drive in the computer is relatively easy.• Some lawyers believed this act violated the establishment clause.• The Wagner Act prohibited employers from firing workers for joining a union.act of (doing) something• The photographs are an act of reclamation of a kind of urban territory that long ago stopped being landscape.• It was an act of trust on their part, and it touched me.• It is possible for such sentiments of approval of this past to coexist with abhorrence for most current acts of violence.• Comfort may come also from acts of sympathy by unknown strangers: cards, signs, flowers upon the water.• Today, we rarely think of the act of cooking as something sacred.• I've cried a lot while lying on that couch and find that the act of crying is a cathartic release.• These are obviously relevant to the act of speaking but could not themselves properly be regarded as components of speech.put on an act• Do not put on an act Whatever happens do not try to be some one you are not.• But he was in no sense putting on an act.• Now Constance began to put on an act.• Fontana did not have to put on an act for long: Patrols and operations were daily.• He was not prepared to put on an act, to don a tiger skin and go roaring about.

Related topics: Performing

act2 ●●● S2 W1 verb  1  do STH 做某事 [intransitive]DO something/TAKE ACTION to do something in a particular way or for a particular reason 行动，做事 The company acted correctly in sacking him. 公司解雇他做得对。 The jury decided that Walker had acted in self-defence. 陪审团裁定沃克的行为属于自卫。act to do something The UN must act now to restore democracy. 联合国现在必须采取行动来重建民主体制。 Politicians will only act when enough people demand that they do something. 只有足够多的民众起来要求，政客们才会采取行动。 RegisterIn everyday English, people often use expressions like do the right thing or do a brave thing rather than use act with an adverb such as correctly or bravely: 在日常英语中，人们常常用do the right thing，do a brave thing等说法，而不用act和correctly，bravely等副词连用的说法 They acted correctly in telling her. → They did the right thing in telling her. 他们告诉她是做对了。When act is used alone to mean ‘take action’, in everyday English people usually just say do something: act单独使用，表示“采取行动”之意时，在日常英语中人们通常只说do somethingWe have to do something now. 现在我们得行动了。2  behave 表现 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to behave in a particular way 〔以某种方式〕表现 They acted unreasonably when they turned down Jill’s application. 他们拒绝了吉尔的申请，这样做没道理。 He’s been acting strangely ever since his mom died. 自从母亲死后，他的行为一直很怪。act as if Pip acted as if he was better than everyone else. 皮普表现得好像他比任何人都强似的。act like Stop acting like a baby. 别像小孩子那样胡闹了。act with She acted with dignity. 她表现得很有尊严。act your age (=used to tell someone to behave in a more adult way, suitable for someone of their age) 别耍孩子气了3  pretend 假装 [intransitive, transitive] to pretend to have feelings, qualities etc that are different from your true ones 假装；装腔作势 When he’s angry, he acts the fool. 他一生气就装傻。 That guy is acting crazy. 那个家伙在装疯。act a part/role Stella felt unnatural in their company, as if she was acting a part. 斯特拉和他们在一起感到不自在，好像在演戏一样。act as if/like Why does he act as if he was stupid? 他为什么装傻？► see thesaurus at pretend4  play/film 戏剧/电影APACTOR/ACTRESS [intransitive, transitive] to perform in a play or film 演出；扮演 I first started acting when I was 12 years old. 我12岁开始演戏。act a part/role She is acting the role of Lady Macbeth six evenings a week. 她一星期六个晚上演麦克白夫人这个角色。 The movie is very well acted. 这部影片演得非常好。5  have an effect 起作用 [intransitive]DO to have an effect or use 起作用act as The padding acts as a cushion if the player falls or is hit by the ball. 万一球员摔倒或者被球击中，衬垫可以起到缓冲作用。act on Disinfectants act on bacteria in two main ways. 消毒剂杀灭细菌有两种主要途径。6  act for somebody/act on somebody’s behalf REPRESENTSCLto represent someone, especially in a court of law or by doing business for them 代表某人，为某人代理 Makin, a solicitor, is acting for the young people in their case against the county council. 梅金律师在本案中代表年轻人起诉郡议会。 I am acting on behalf of the bank. 我代表银行方面。 → acting1 PHRASAL VERBS7 act as something phrasal verb DOto do a particular job for a short time, for example while the usual person is absent 〔暂时〕代理〔某人的工作〕 My brother speaks French – he can act as interpreter. 我弟弟会说法语，他可以充当翻译。8 act on/upon something phrasal verb to do something because of another person’s advice or order, or because you have received information or had an idea 根据…行事 She is acting on the advice of her lawyers. 她按照律师的建议行事。 Police say they acted on information received. 警方称，他们根据接到的情报采取了行动。9 act something ↔ out phrasal verb a) APif a group of people act out an event, they show how it happened by pretending to be the people who were involved in it 将…演出来 The children were acting out the story of the birth of Jesus. 孩子们正在表演耶稣诞生的故事。b) EXPRESSto express your feelings about something through your behaviour or actions, especially when you have been feeling angry or nervous 用行动来表现〔情绪〕 These teenagers are likely to act out their distress by running away. 这些青少年可能会用离家出走的方式来表达自己的郁闷情绪。10 act up phrasal verb a) BEHAVEif children act up, they behave badly 调皮，捣乱 He’s a tough kid and he acts up a lot. 他是个很倔的孩子，还常常调皮捣蛋。b) MIBROKENif a machine or part of your body acts up, it does not work properly 〔机器〕运转不正常，〔身体〕出毛病 The computer is acting up again. 电脑又出问题了。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

act• a fast-acting decongestant• That woman just can't act!• The picture has a good script and is wonderfully acted.• But it seemed to me that most of us were just acting.• But there are many other ways in which we could act.• Despite the crisis, the Commission seems unwilling to act.• It takes a couple of minutes for the drug to act.• As often as not, the government would then act against the loyalists to prevent the increase in tension.• Bernard in the twelfth century: The river enters the abbey as much as the well acting as a check allows.• It will no longer act as a spring but at least it will give the cabin a more solid base.• Morgan Stanley will act as co-global coordinator.• She acts as if she owns the place and we're her servants.• Even in towns women did not normally act as traders.• We must act before the situation gets out of control.• Morganstern claims he was acting in self-defense.• In recent years Lewis has been acting in television dramas.• It is not the world we seem to experience and act in.• He has been accused of acting like a dictator.• I acted more out of compassion than anything else.• The report says the officers acted professionally and responsibly.• Larry was acting really weird.• Congress must act soon on this vital legislation.• You're acting stupid and I don't want to talk to you anymore.• Critics accuse the company of acting too slowly in notifying residents of the chemical leak.• Tina's been acting very strangely lately.• He learned to act when he was in highschool.act to do something• Property rights thus have a distributional implication - who compensates whom - but also act to achieve the socially efficient allocation.• Meanwhile, government ministers faced calls for their resignation, and Yeltsin acted to ban the more blatant manifestations of opposition activity.• It wasn't like him, it was out of character, but she wasn't acting to character either.• Congress recently acted to deny trade preferences to countries that fail to meet their legal obligations to end such abusive child labor.• The systematic activation of prior knowledge can act to prepare for and deepen the likely response to a text.• The statute requires, however, not a threat of immediate danger, but rather an immediate need to act to protect.• President Clinton has said he will act to stop the war spreading to Kosovo, but few in Kosovo believe his promises.• Crowe brings much more than acting to the role.act as if• A boxing instructor may teach his pupil to strike him in a given way by acting as if hurt.• I was not ready to act as if I were dead already.• And I could act as if running a new household was an ambition f could concentrate on and fall in love with.• She acted as if she were an enfranchised male.• He does not, but his genes act as if they do.• They acted as if they knew what would happen if they lost, and they were scared to death of it.• When practice starts up again after the weekend, Jody acts as if Vanderbilt never happened.act a part/role• Available for singing, dancing, acting roles.• Hannah Benn knew that she would have to spend her evening acting a part.• These were his friends but he felt unnatural in their company, as if he were acting a part.• She couldn't be completely spurious; no-one could act a part like that.act a part/role• Available for singing, dancing, acting roles.• Hannah Benn knew that she would have to spend her evening acting a part.• These were his friends but he felt unnatural in their company, as if he were acting a part.• She couldn't be completely spurious; no-one could act a part like that.act as• The sugar in the fruit acts as a preservative.nACT /ˌeɪ siː ˈtiː/  n1. the ACT (the American Conservatory Theater) a repertory theatre (=theatre whose actors perform different plays on different days) in San Francisco, which is also a respected school for training actorsn2. the ACT (the Australian Capital Territory) the capital territory of Australia. It contains the capital city Canberra and is an inland area surrounded by New South Wales.From Longman Business Dictionaryactact1 /ækt/ noun [countable]1LAWa law that has been officially accepted by the governing body of a countryan act to regulate the carrying on of investment businessthe Homeland Security Act of 2002 → see also Act of Congress2a written agreement that has legal force → consolidating actactact2 verb [intransitive]1act as something to do a particular job or have a particular roleWe will act as the company’s agent for the sale.Mortgage brokers act as middlemen between borrowers and lenders.2act for somebodyLAW if a lawyer acts for someone, he or she represents them in a legal casethe lawyer acting for the insurance company3act on somebody’s behalfCOMMERCELAW to represent someoneThe two parties may agree a price for the land or ask an agent to act on their behalf.4act on something to take action as a result of something that has been said, written, suggested etcCongress is eager to act on the report.The administration hasn’t yet acted on the request.→ See Verb tableOrigin act1 (1300-1400) Latin actus “doing, act” and actum “thing done, record”, from the past participle of agere “to drive, do”

act1 noun →REGISTER1 →n COLLOCATIONS1
→n COLLOCATIONS2act2 verb →REGISTER1 →PHRASAL VERBS1ACTLDOCE OnlineChinese  

Corpus you do Business that one thing

act

I

act¹ S1 W1 /ækt/ noun1.  ACTION  [countable] one thing that you do:
    The new president’s first act should be to end the war.
    a thoughtless act
    act of (doing) something
    an act of violence
    her many acts of kindness
    The act of writing a list can help to calm you down.
    in the act of doing something (=at the moment that you are doing something)
    Lindsay paused in the act of putting down the phone.
  REGISTER
    In everyday English, people usually say a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc thing to do rather than a thoughtless/kind/stupid etc act.
2.  LAW (also Act) [countable] a law that has been officially accepted by Parliament or Congress:
    the Housing and Community Development Act of 1977
    an act of Parliament
3.  PRETENDING  [singular] insincere behaviour in which you pretend to have a particular kind of feeling or to be a particular kind of person:
    Mike played the loving husband in front of the children but it was all an act.
    Be natural. Don’t feel you have to put on an act.
4. get your act together informal to become more organized and behave in a more effective way, especially in order to achieve something:
    You need to get your act together if you’re going to find the right house to buy.
5.  PLAY  [countable] one of the main parts into which a stage play, opera etc is divided:
    I arrived at the theatre late and missed the first act.
    the beginning of Act 3
6.  PERFORMANCE  [countable] a short performance on stage or television by someone who plays music or tells jokes:
    The argument was just part of their act.
7.  PERFORMER  [countable] a performer or a group of performers who perform together:
    The band is one of many acts that have been booked for the concert.
8. a hard/tough etc act to follow someone who does such an excellent job that it would be difficult for someone doing the same job after them to be as good:
    He has been a very successful captain and will be a hard act to follow.
9. get in on the act informal to take part in an activity that someone else has started, especially in order to get a share of the advantages for yourself
10. act of God an event that is caused by natural forces, such as a storm, flood, or fire, which you cannot prevent or control
11. act of worship an occasion when people pray together and show their respect for God
12. balancing/juggling act a situation in which you are trying to do several different types of work at the same time
13. do a disappearing/vanishing act to be impossible to find when you are needed
⇨ catch somebody in the act at catch¹(3), ⇨ clean up your act at clean up(3)
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ nouns
   ▪ an act of violence/aggression Incidents of sexual harassment and acts of violence against women were on the increase.
   ▪ an act of kindness/love We were grateful for her act of kindness.
   ▪ an act of faith (=when you do something that shows you trust someone completely) The signing of the treaty with Britain was an act of faith.
   ▪ an act of terrorism (=when someone kills people or bombs a place for political reasons ) It was the worst act of terrorism in US history.
   ▪ an act of vandalism (=when someone deliberately damages things, especially public property ) These mindless acts of vandalism affect the whole community.
   ▪ an act of defiance (=when you refuse to obey or respect someone) As an act of defiance Leigh dropped out of high school a month before graduation.
   ▪ an act of courage/bravery The men were awarded the medals for acts of courage.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a criminal/illegal/unlawful act Starting the fire was a highly irresponsible criminal act.
   ▪ a violent/aggressive act We will track down those responsible for this violent act.
   ▪ terrorist acts terrorists acts like the Oklahoma City bombing
   ▪ a cowardly act (=not at all brave) The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists.
   ▪ a heroic act (=very brave) Ordinary people sometimes find themselves performing heroic acts.
   ▪ a deliberate/conscious act Clearly this was a deliberate act of vandalism.
   ▪ a symbolic act (=something you do to express an idea or feeling) The Tibetan climber will pass the Olympic flame to his Chinese partner in a symbolic act of friendship.
■ verbs
   ▪ commit an act formal (=do something wrong or illegal) Anyone committing an illegal act deserves to be punished.
   ▪ perform an act (=do something, especially something difficult or useful) The nurses performed many small acts of kindness.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ verbs
   ▪ pass an act Once Parliament has passed an act, it becomes the law of the land.
   ▪ introduce an act In 1961, before the Divorce Law Reform Act was introduced, the divorce rate was only 2.1%.
   ▪ amend an act (=make small changes) In 1978 the act was amended to make the earliest mandatory retirement age 70.
   ▪ repeal an act (=officially end it) The Act was repealed by the incoming Labour government.
   ▪ an act becomes law In the 40 years since the Abortion Act became law there have been repeated attempts to amend or repeal it.
   ▪ an act comes into force Since the act came into force, all public buildings must have disabled access.
   ▪ an act prohibits something Section 47 of the Act prohibits the making of misleading statements to the police.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ action noun [countable] something that someone does: He is responsible for his own actions. | They refused to give a reason for their actions.
   ▪ act noun [countable] a particular type of action: violent acts | act of violence/kindness/defiance etc: I believe the killing was an act of desperation.
   ▪ activities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim: leisure activities | political activities | Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.
   ▪ behaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave: Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour? | The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.
   ▪ move noun [countable] something that you do in order to achieve something: Her decision to sell the shares had been a smart move. | It’s a bold move to start a business in the current economic climate. | He needed time to figure out his next move.
   ▪ step noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed: The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project. | We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again. | This is an important step towards peace.
   ▪ measure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem: There are increased security measures at airports. | The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.
   ▪ gesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something: Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers? | gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance: The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
   ▪ deed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad: evil deeds | heroic deeds | This is my good deed for the day.
   ▪ exploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions: daring exploits | His exploits were legendary.
   ▪ feat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it: Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old. | The bridge is a great feat of engineering.

II

act² S2 W1 verb1.  DO SOMETHING  [intransitive] to do something in a particular way or for a particular reason:
    The company acted correctly in sacking him.
    The jury decided that Walker had acted in self-defence.
    act to do something
    The UN must act now to restore democracy.
    Politicians will only act when enough people demand that they do something.
  REGISTER
    In everyday English, people often use expressions like do the right thing or do a brave thing rather than use act with an adverb such as correctly or bravely:
   ▪ They acted correctly in telling her. ➔ They did the right thing in telling her.
    When act is used alone to mean ‘take action’, in everyday English people usually just say do something:
   ▪ We have to do something now.
2.  BEHAVE  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to behave in a particular way:
    They acted unreasonably when they turned down Jill’s application.
    He’s been acting strangely ever since his Mom died.
    act as if
    Pip acted as if he was better than everyone else.
    act like
    Stop acting like a baby.
    act with
    She acted with dignity.
    act your age (=used to tell someone to behave in a more adult way, suitable for someone of their age)
3.  PRETEND  [intransitive and transitive] to pretend to have feelings, qualities etc that are different from your true ones:
    When he’s angry, he acts the fool.
    That guy is acting crazy.
    act a part/role
    Stella felt unnatural in their company, as if she was acting a part.
    act as if/like
    Why does he act as if he was stupid?
4.  PLAY/FILM  [intransitive and transitive] to perform in a play or film:
    I first started acting when I was 12 years old.
    act a part/role
    She is acting the role of Lady Macbeth six evenings a week.
    The movie is very well acted.
5.  HAVE AN EFFECT  [intransitive] to have an effect or use
    act as
    The padding acts as a cushion if the player falls or is hit by the ball.
    act on
    Disinfectants act on bacteria in two main ways.
6. act for somebody/act on sb’s behalf to represent someone, especially in a court of law or by doing business for them:
    Makin, a solicitor, is acting for the young people in their case against the county council.
    I am acting on behalf of the bank. ⇨ acting¹
     
act as something phrasal verb
  to do a particular job for a short time, for example while the usual person is absent:
    My brother speaks French – he can act as interpreter.
act on/upon something phrasal verb
  to do something because of another person’s advice or order, or because you have received information or had an idea:
    She is acting on the advice of her lawyers.
    Police say they acted on information received.
act something ↔ out phrasal verb
  1. if a group of people act out an event, they show how it happened by pretending to be the people who were involved in it:
    The children were acting out the story of the birth of Jesus.
  2. to express your feelings about something through your behaviour or actions, especially when you have been feeling angry or nervous:
    These teenagers are likely to act out their distress by running away.
act up phrasal verb
  1. if children act up, they behave badly:
    He’s a tough kid and he acts up a lot.
  2. if a machine or part of your body acts up, it does not work properly:
    The computer is acting up again.

ACT
ACT, the /ˌeɪ siː ˈtiː/
1. (the American Conservatory Theater) a repertory theatre (=theatre whose actors perform different plays on different days) in San Francisco, which is also a respected school for training actors
2. (the Australian Capital Territory) the CAPITAL TERRITORY of Australia. It contains the CAPITAL CITY Canberra and is an inland area surrounded by New South Wales.