Pronunciation: /ækt dʌm/
noun A person who is pretending to be unintelligent or ignorant.
A1 My little sister likes to act dumb when she doesn't want to do her homework.
A2 The student tried to act dumb when the teacher asked who broke the window.
B1 Some people act dumb to avoid taking responsibility for their actions.
B2 It's not wise to act dumb in front of your boss if you want to be taken seriously.
C1 She was accused of trying to act dumb during the investigation to avoid incriminating herself.
C2 The politician's attempt to act dumb during the corruption scandal did not fool anyone.
verb An action word that describes the act of pretending to be unintelligent or ignorant.
A1 I act dumb when I don't want to do my homework.
A2 She acts dumb in front of her crush to get his attention.
B1 He tends to act dumb in meetings to avoid taking on extra work.
B2 The suspect acted dumb during the interrogation, but eventually confessed.
C1 It's not wise to act dumb in important negotiations; it can backfire.
C2 The politician tried to act dumb when questioned about the scandal, but the truth came out.
adjective Describes the behavior of pretending to be unintelligent or ignorant.
A1 She acts dumb when she doesn't want to do her homework.
A2 He acts dumb in front of his crush to get her attention.
B1 The suspect tried to act dumb during the police interrogation.
B2 I can't believe she's still acting dumb about the situation.
C1 It's frustrating when people act dumb just to avoid taking responsibility.
C2 She's not fooling anyone with her act dumb routine anymore.
formal It is unprofessional to act dumb during a job interview.
informal Don't act dumb when your teacher asks you a question in class.
slang Stop acting dumb, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
figurative She likes to act dumb to avoid taking responsibility for her actions.
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