gerund / present participle
Acting means doing something in response to a problem or situation instead of only thinking or talking about it.
Acting quickly can prevent a small problem from becoming serious.
The team is acting on the doctor's advice.
American English
How to pronounce acting
verb · noun · adjectiveB1Very common word
AAKtihng
/ˈæk.tɪŋ/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of act
Acting means doing something in response to a problem or situation instead of only thinking or talking about it.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
gerund / present participle
Acting means behaving in a particular way, especially in a situation.
He is acting strangely today.
Why are you acting so nervous?
gerund / present participle
Acting means pretending to be someone or to have a feeling that you do not really have.
She is acting as if she knows the answer.
He was acting innocent after the mistake.
gerund / present participle
Acting means performing as an actor in a play, movie, or show.
She is acting in a new TV series.
Acting onstage takes confidence.
Useful expressions
to serve in a particular role or function
This room acts as a meeting space.
to behave badly or fail to work correctly
My old laptop is acting up again.
to pretend to have a certain feeling or behavior
He was putting on an act for the cameras.