play-act

play-act
v.
1 intr. act in a play.
2 intr. behave affectedly or insincerely.
3 tr. act (a scene, part, etc.).
Derivatives:
play-acting n. play-actor n.

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v
pretend, put on, assume, feign, sham, counterfeit, fake, fabricate, simulate, bluff, impersonate, pass yourself off, act, put on an act, mime, go through the motions
FORMAL affect, dissemble

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playˈ-act intransitive verb
• • •
Main Entry: ↑play

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play-act verb [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they play-act he/she/it play-acts present participle play-acting past tense play-acted past participle play-acted]
Thesaurus: to pretend to do or feel somethingsynonym
Main entry: play-acting

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play-act or play|act «PLAY AKT», intransitive verb.
1. to perform in a dramatic production.
2. Figurative. to make believe; pretend.
–v.t.
to act (a part); portray: »

Figurative. just play-acting the bohemian (Punch).

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ˈplay-act [play-act play-acts play-acted play-acting] ; verb intransitive

•

He thought she was play-acting but in fact she had really hurt herself.

Main entry: ↑play-actingderived

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • play-act — (plāʹăkt ) intr.v. play ·act·ed, play ·act·ing, play ·acts 1. To play a role in a dramatic performance. 2. To play a pretended role; make believe. 3. To behave in an overdramatic or artificial manner. * * * …   Universalium

  • play|act — play act or play|act «PLAY AKT», intransitive verb. 1. to perform in a dramatic production. 2. Figurative. to make believe; pretend. –v.t. to act (a part); portray: »Figurative. just play acting the bohemian (Punch) …   Useful english dictionary

  • play-act — ► play act engage in pretence in an attention seeking manner. Main Entry: ↑play …   English terms dictionary

  • play act — index pretend Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • play-act — index simulate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • play|act|ing — play act|ing or play|act|ing «PLAY AK tihng», noun. 1. the acting of plays; dramatic performance. 2. Figurative. the action of making believe; pretending …   Useful english dictionary

  • play-act|ing — or play|act|ing «PLAY AK tihng», noun. 1. the acting of plays; dramatic performance. 2. Figurative. the action of making believe; pretending …   Useful english dictionary

  • play-act — play acts, play acting, play acted VERB: usu cont If someone is play acting, they are pretending to have attitudes or feelings that they do not really have. The victim revealed he was only play acting …   English dictionary

  • play-act — (Roget s Thesaurus II) verb 1. To play the part of: act, do, enact, impersonate, perform, play, portray, represent. See ACTION, PERFORMING ARTS, SUBSTITUTE. 2. To behave affectedly or insincerely or take on a false or misleading appearance of:… …   English dictionary for students

  • play-act — verb 1》 act in a play. 2》 engage in histrionic pretence. Derivatives play acting noun play actor noun …   English new terms dictionary

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