perform

American  

[per-fawrm] / pərˈfɔrm /

verb (used with object)

performs, present (3rd person singular) performed, past participle, past performing present participle

1. to carry out; execute; do.

   to perform miracles.

2. to go through or execute in the proper, customary, or established manner.

   to perform the marriage ceremony.

3. to carry into effect; fulfill.

   Perform what you promise.

   Synonyms:

   effect, achieve, accomplish

4. to enact (a play, part, etc.), as on the stage, in movies, or on television.

5. to render (music), as by playing or singing.

6. to accomplish (any action involving skill or ability), as before an audience.

   to perform a juggling act.

7. to complete.

8. to exhibit behaviors associated with (a particular social role or identity).

   This study investigates the ways in which biracial Americans perform race in their day-to-day lives.

9. to behave in ways that exhibit (a socially acceptable belief, trait, or quality), often merely for show.

   Nineteenth-century British women found in the antislavery movement a perfect way to perform empathy.

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verb (used without object)

performs, present (3rd person singular) performed, past participle, past performing present participle

1. to fulfill a command, promise, or undertaking.

2. to execute or do something.

3. to act in a play.

   to perform in the role of Romeo.

4. to perform music.

5. to go through any performance.

6. (of loans, investments, etc.) to yield a profit; earn income.

7. to have sexual intercourse.

   I could not perform in my first intimate encounter with the love of my life.

perform British  

/ pəˈfɔːm /

verb

1. to carry out or do (an action)

2. (tr) to fulfil or comply with

   to perform someone's request

3. to present or enact (a play, concert, etc) before or otherwise entertain an audience

   the group performed Hamlet

4. informal (intr) to accomplish sexual intercourse

   he performed well

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Synonym Usage

Perform, discharge, execute, transact mean to carry to completion a prescribed course of action. Perform is the general word, often applied to ordinary activity as a more formal expression than do, but usually implying regular, methodical, or prolonged application or work: to perform an exacting task. Discharge implies carrying out an obligation, often a formal or legal one: to discharge one's duties as a citizen. Execute means either to carry out an order or to carry through a plan or program: to execute a maneuver. Transact, meaning to conduct or manage, has commercial connotations: to transact business.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• performer
  noun
• misperform
  verb
• overperform
  verb
• reperform
  verb (used with object)
• performable
  adjective
• self-performed
  adjective
• unperformable
  adjective
• unperformed
  adjective
• unperforming
  adjective
• well-performed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• performing
  present
• performed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• perform
  simple
• performs
  simple
• have performed
  perfect
• has performed
  perfect
• am performing
  progressive
• are performing
  progressive
• is performing
  progressive
• have been performing
  perfect progressive
• has been performing
  perfect progressive

Past

• performed
  simple
• had performed
  perfect
• was performing
  progressive
• were performing
  progressive
• had been performing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will perform
  simple
• will have performed
  perfect
• will be performing
  progressive
• will have been performing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of perform

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English parformen, from Anglo-French parformer, alteration (by association with forme form ) of Middle French, Old French parfournir “to accomplish”; see per-, furnish

Explanation

To perform most often means to sing, dance act or put on any kind of show. Perform also means, however, to carry out almost any function or action — to do something, in other words. Parents love to watch their kids perform. Nothing delights mommy or daddy more than watching junior sing or dance in the school play. Later in life, though, they'll be happy when their kids perform acts of kindness or when they perform the duties required of them by their jobs. "The surgeon entertained the other doctors when he performed an aria from Rigoletto while he performed an appendectomy." Now that's impressive.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perform performs performed performing

In September, Jay-Z is scheduled to perform stadium concerts in London and Paris ahead of an Oct.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

"But how they came to perform specific functions like they do in biological matter is a gap we need to fill."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

As the resident orchestra the Vienna Philharmonic will also perform five concert programs, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Tugan Sokhiev, Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann and Andris Nelsons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

The events will take place at Reading's Richfield Avenue and Bramham Park in Leeds between 27 to 30 August, with artists rotating the days they perform.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Marvellers were born with marvels, light inside them that allowed them to perform magical feats.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Bob Baker Marionette Theater performs at the River Solstice Festival, clockwise from top left.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Here, Madonna takes the listener through a pivotal moment in her early career, as she dances, performs and hustles at the famous New York club where she eventually broke through.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Alongside the war’s effects, developments on the AI frontier will determine how the global economy performs in the years ahead, the IMF said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

"One moment the animal is exploring seemingly without direction, and the next it performs a highly efficient sequence of actions leading directly to the solution," says co-author Ece Nur Akmeşe from the University of Helsinki.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026

In a showcase of shorter performances that afternoon, another high school performs a production number from Pippin.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

As Ma performed in the park, Gonzalez stood in the river basin, spray-painting in neon-pink blockbuster letters the name of his organization, East Side of the River, onto pillars under Slauson Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Purists will be delighted by the inclusion of “Hit Me in the Head,” which Watts performed shortly before his death in 2021.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

With Argentina, England, France and Spain just two games from glory, we compare how the four semi-finalists have performed so far to get an idea of who could lift the World Cup this weekend.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The study was performed in accordance with the National Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

Indeed, he had performed it, fully staged before an audience at Ford’s Theatre.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

I’m glad to hear that the batteries are performing better than expected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

After the contest, the singer continued her artistic pursuit, performing with a handful of bands including Bobby Wayne & the Dixies and, later, Imagination.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

The 45-year-old left Swansea after finishing a performing arts course at Gorseinon College, where he said teachers encouraged students to "spread their wings", and then went to Bristol for drama school.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Instead of performing every nuclear calculation during each simulation, the AI is first trained using an extensive library of reference calculations that include complete nuclear reaction networks.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

Seeing abstract images and performing them either on voice or instruments.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• achieve
• act
• behave
• complete
• do
• execute
• finish
• function
• implement
• meet
• observe
• operate
• take
• work