Play-act

Quick meaning: Play-act is a verb meaning (intransitive) To perform on stage; to act in a play.

Meaning

(intransitive) To perform on stage; to act in a play.

More Meanings

1. (transitive) To play (a scene, role etc.); to act out.
2. (intransitive, figuratively) To engage in pretence or insincere behavior, often in order to mislead someone or gain an advantage.
3. (transitive, figuratively) To make a pretence of; to feign or simulate.

Example Sentences

Little girls aren’t taught to play-act at being queen. They play-act at being princesses, which is a much gauzier, more romantic kind of role.

Abby, watching Harper give the closeted performance that she’s been giving her whole life, sees a side of her that she doesn’t like — the one who play-acts and denies herself almost too well.

If the devil’s advocate playacts disagreement with you for the sake of strengthening your argument, the concern troll is his mirror image, a person who pretends to agree with you in order to undermine you.

Kelly’s involvement made it a song not only about fame, but also about alleged sex across creepy power differentials. This wasn’t really even subtext: Gaga and Kelly playacted an Oval Office affair at the American Music Awards.

Word Forms

• play-acts
• play-acting
• play-acted
• playact

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include theater, theatre, playact, play, theatricize, enact.

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