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.
“There’s something about seeing women act out on their frustrations that is ripe and interesting,” Thompson says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
Players roll a dice to move their pawns across the board, with each landing spot corresponding to cards containing questions or instructions to act out disaster-specific responses.
From Barron's • Dec. 29, 2025
Similarly, Marie-Louise said freedom of speech "doesn't mean you have to be nasty" or "act out of manner", but rather "just stay true to yourself".
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2025
If a group of second-graders want to play "My Little Pony" during recess, or act out an episode of "Paw Patrol," they'd better do it on one of their allotted five days a year!
From Salon • May 12, 2025
And then she started talking about whether they should play with Legos or act out “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” with stuffed animals next.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
