act out
Britishverb
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(tr) to reproduce (an idea, former event, etc) in actions, often by mime
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psychiatry to express unconsciously (a repressed impulse or experience) in overt behaviour
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Perform or portray something or someone, as in As she read to the class, the teacher had each child act out a different character in the story . [c. 1600]
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Express unconscious feelings or impulses through one's behavior, without being aware of it. For example, She acted out her anger at her father by screaming at her husband . This meaning comes from 20th-century psychological theory and usually (but not always) refers to negative or hostile impulses and emotions. The term is sometimes used without an object to mean “misbehave” or “behave disruptively,” as in The child is acting out in class . [First half of 1900s] In both usages, out means “openly” or “publicly.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He often acted out his frustrations in the classroom.
The second group are the performance artists who see the dramatic potential in acting out.
There’s no doubt Vilmar is acting out of necessity, but he is not entirely without agency since he negotiates his payment.
From Los Angeles Times
After acting out a scene for the small part of Ted Bailey over a Zoom call, Josh was cast and whisked out to New York to film.
From BBC
"It can come across as acting out or misbehaving, but it isn't acting out or misbehaving. It's just literally not feeling safe in their own body."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
