act out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to reproduce (an idea, former event, etc) in actions, often by mime

2. psychiatry to express unconsciously (a repressed impulse or experience) in overt behaviour

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act out Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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.”

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Example Sentences

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

She tries to assume there’s a reason behind students acting out so she can try to address the root cause.

From Los Angeles Times

Her son doesn't always listen and sometimes acts out but Kelly says she then just reminds herself that "your child is doing something very normal and typical".

From BBC

I get more confident in my reading, and soon I’m doing voices for each character and acting out the silly bits.

From Literature

Related Words

• display
• execute
• give
• go on
• offer
• play
• present
• produce
• represent
• show
• stage