Pronunciation: /ækt aʊt/

Definitions of act out

verb to perform or portray a role or behavior in an exaggerated or theatrical manner

Example Sentences

A1 Children often act out their favorite scenes from movies.

A2 She was feeling frustrated and decided to act out by slamming the door.

B1 The students were asked to act out a short skit for the class.

B2 The actors were able to effectively act out the emotions of their characters.

C1 The director wanted the actors to act out the scene with more intensity.

C2 The performance was so realistic that it felt like the actors were actually living the story they were acting out.

Examples of act out in a Sentence

formal The actor was able to perfectly act out the scene as written in the script.

informal I dare you to act out your favorite movie scene in front of everyone.

slang She's always acting out and causing drama for attention.

figurative His anger issues often cause him to act out in destructive ways.

Grammatical Forms of act out

past tense

acted out

plural

act out

comparative

more acted out

superlative

most acted out

present tense

acts out

future tense

will act out

perfect tense

have acted out

continuous tense

is acting out

singular

acts out

positive degree

act out

infinitive

to act out

gerund

acting out

participle

acting out

Origin and Evolution of act out

First Known Use: 1601 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'act out' originated from the combination of the words 'act' and 'out', with 'act' meaning to perform or portray and 'out' indicating the outward expression of something.
Evolution of the word: Initially used in the context of theatrical performances, 'act out' later evolved to also refer to the behavior of individuals who express their emotions or thoughts in a dramatic or exaggerated manner.