act
verbVerb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they act | |
| he / she / it acts | |
| past simple acted | |
| past participle acted | |
| -ing form acting |
- [intransitive]
to do something for a particular purpose or in order to deal with a situation 做事；行动 - act to do something
It is vital that we act to stop the destruction of the rainforests. 至关紧要的是，我们应当采取行动制止破坏雨林。 - + adv./prep.
By acting quickly doctors saved her life. 医生迅速采取行动救了她的命。 The government was criticized for failing to act decisively. 政府做事不果断，受到了批评。 Initial reports indicated he acted alone. 最初的报告显示他是单独行动的。 He claims he acted in self-defence. 他声称他是出于自卫。 We acted in good faith (= believing that we were doing the right thing). 我们本着诚信行事。 They are acting out of self-interest. 他们是出于私利。 She was not acting for personal gain. 她不是为了个人利益而行动。
Extra ExamplesGeorge knew about the letter and acted accordingly. 乔治知道那封信的情况并采取了相应的行动。 His defence was that he had acted in good faith. 他辩称自己当时是诚实办事。 I suspected that he was acting out of malice. 我怀疑他这么做是不怀好意。 The country's highest court ruled that police had acted unlawfully. 该国的最高法院判定警方的行为不合法。 The government must act promptly to change this law. 政府必须立即采取行动改变这部法律。 The government needs to act against the sale of these dangerous toys. 政府需要采取措施，禁止这些危险玩具的销售。 The jury accepted that he had acted in self defence. 陪审团接受了他那样做是出于自卫的观点。 We are all acting in the best interests of the children. 我们都是为了孩子的最大利益在做事。 The girl's life was saved because the doctors acted so promptly. 多亏医生行动迅速，女孩的生命得救了。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- at once
- immediately
- promptly
- …
- against
- for somebody
- on behalf of somebody
- …
- act as if
- act in somebody’s best interests
- act in good faith
- …
- act to do something
- [intransitive]
to behave in a particular way 表现得 - + adv.
The man was seen acting suspiciously. 有人看见那个人形迹可疑。 I think that most employers act responsibly in these situations. 我认为大多数雇主在这些情况下都是负责任的。 Decide what your priorities are and act accordingly (= in an appropriate way). 决定你的优先事项，并采取相应的行动。 - act like somebody/something
Stop acting like spoilt children! 别再像惯坏的孩子那样胡闹了！ - act as if/though…
She was acting as if she'd seen a ghost. 她的行为举止像是见到幽灵一般。
Extra ExamplesOxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- at once
- immediately
- promptly
- …
- against
- for somebody
- on behalf of somebody
- …
- act as if
- act in somebody’s best interests
- act in good faith
- …
- + adv.
- [intransitive, transitive]
to perform a part in a play or film 扮演（戏剧、电影中的角色） Have you ever acted? 你演过戏吗？ He just can't act. 他根本不会演戏。 Most of the cast act well. 这出戏大多数演员演得不错。 The play was well acted. 这出戏演得不错。 Who's acting the part of Hamlet? 谁演哈姆雷特（这个角色）？ She is acting the role of Juliet. 她在演朱丽叶这一角色。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- brilliantly
- well
- badly
- …
- [intransitive]
to pretend by your behaviour to be a particular type of person 假装 - + noun
He's been acting the devoted husband all day. 他整天装作模范丈夫的样子。 - + adj.
I decided to act dumb. 我决定装傻。 to act weird/strange/normal/stupid 举止怪异/奇怪/正常/愚蠢 He acts all macho, but he’s a real softie underneath. 他表现得很有男子气概，但骨子里却很软弱。
Extra ExamplesYou've been acting strange lately. 你最近表现得很奇怪。 I found myself acting the part of the happy newly-married wife. 我发现自己正假扮成一个幸福的新婚妻子。
- + noun
- [intransitive]
to perform a particular role or function 充当；起作用 - act as something
She acted as an adviser to the committee. 她担任委员会的顾问。 Can you act as interpreter? 你能担任口译员吗？ We hope this sentence will act as a deterrent to others. 我们希望这句话能起到威慑他人的作用。 Culture can act as a powerful catalyst for urban regeneration. 文化可以成为城市复兴的强大催化剂。 The council is only really acting as an agent. 该委员会只是真正的代理人。 - act like something
hormones in the brain that act like natural painkillers 大脑中起着天然止痛药作用的激素
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- brilliantly
- well
- badly
- …
- act as something
- [intransitive] act (on something)
to have an effect on something （对…）有作用，有影响 Extra ExamplesThe bacteria act on sugars to form acids. 细菌作用于糖形成酸。 We need to understand the forces that act on the spine. 我们需要了解作用在脊椎上的力。 Most of these drugs acted directly on the blood vessels. 这些药物大多直接作用于血管。 Nuclear and non-nuclear matter act on each other. 核物质和非核物质相互作用。
do something做某事
behave行为
perform in play/film
pretend假装
perform function起作用
have effect有作用
Idioms
act/play the fool
to behave in a stupid way in order to make people laugh, especially in a way that may also annoy them 装傻，扮丑相（以逗人笑，但往往惹人恼怒） Extra ExamplesStop acting the fool and be serious! 别再像傻瓜一样，严肃点儿！ He thought that being an actor only involved tap dancing and playing the fool. 他认为当演员就是跳踢踏舞和装傻逗乐就行了。
be/act your age
to behave in a way that is suitable for somebody of your age and not as though you were much younger 行为和年龄相称；举止不再有孩子气 Isn’t it time you started acting your age? 你不是该开始表演你的年龄了吗？
behave/act as if you own the place | think you own the place
- (disapproving)
to behave in a very confident way that annoys other people, for example by telling them what to do （言行）喧宾夺主 She was acting as if she owned the place. 她的一举一动好像在说这是她的地盘似的。