Pronunciation: /ækt laɪk/

Definitions of act like

verb to behave in a way that is similar to someone or something else

Example Sentences

A1 My dog likes to act like a cat sometimes.

A2 She always acts like she knows everything.

B1 The children were told to act like responsible adults.

B2 He can act like a completely different person when he's angry.

C1 Some people act like they are above the law.

C2 It's important to not act like you know everything in a professional setting.

preposition used to compare someone's behavior to that of another person or thing

Example Sentences

A1 My cat acts like a dog when it plays fetch.

A2 She acts like she knows everything, but she's just pretending.

B1 The children were told to act like responsible adults while their parents were away.

B2 He always acts like he's in charge, even though he's just a junior employee.

C1 The politician tried to act like a man of the people, but his lavish lifestyle gave him away.

C2 She can act like a completely different person depending on who she's with.

Examples of act like in a Sentence

formal It is important to not act like a child in a professional setting.

informal Don't act like you know everything when you clearly don't.

slang Why do you always act like a know-it-all?

figurative She can act like a chameleon, blending in with any social group.

Grammatical Forms of act like

past tense

acted

plural

act like

comparative

more act like

superlative

most act like

present tense

act like

future tense

will act like

perfect tense

have acted like

continuous tense

are acting like

singular

acts like

positive degree

act like

infinitive

to act like

gerund

acting like

participle

acting like

Origin and Evolution of act like

First Known Use: 1300 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'act like' originated from Middle English and was derived from the Old French word 'acte', which means 'a deed or action'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'act like' has evolved to mean behaving or imitating in a certain way, often used in informal language to describe someone's behavior or actions.