Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense actions, present participle actioning, past tense, past participle actioned
1. uncountable noun
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
The government is taking emergency action to deal with a housing crisis.
What was needed, he said, was decisive action to halt what he called these savagecrimes.
Synonyms: measure, act, step, operation More Synonyms of action
2. countable noun
An action is something that you do on a particular occasion.
As always, Peter had a reason for his action.
Jack was the sort of man who did not like his actions questioned.
Synonyms: deed, move, act, performance More Synonyms of action
3. countable noun
To bring a legal action against someone means to bring a case against them in a court of law.
[law]
Two leading law firms are to prepare legal actions against tobacco companies. [+ against]
...a libel action brought by one of France's bureaucrats.
Synonyms: lawsuit, case, cause, trial More Synonyms of action
4. uncountable noun
The action of a chemical is the way in which it works, or the effects that it has.
Her description of the nature and action of poisons is amazingly accurate.
Synonyms: effect, working, work, force More Synonyms of action
5. singular noun
The action is all the important and exciting things that are happening in a situation.
[informal]
Hollywood is where the action is now.
Synonyms: energy, activity, spirit, force More Synonyms of action
6. uncountable noun [oft inNOUN]
The fighting which takes place in a war can be referred to as action.
...a murderous war that would see millions die, as a result of direct military action.
13 soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in action.
Synonyms: battle, war, fight, fighting More Synonyms of action
7. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
An action movie is a film in which a lot of dangerous and exciting things happen. An action hero is the main character in one of these films.
8. verb [usually passive]
If you action something that needs to be done, you deal with it.
[business]
Documents can be actioned, or filed immediately. [beVERB-ed]
9.
See out of action
10.
See a piece of the action
11.
See put sth into action
More Synonyms of action
action in British English
(ˈækʃən)
noun
1.
the state or process of doing something or being active; operation
2.
something done, such as an act or deed
3.
movement or posture during some physical activity
4.
activity, force, or energy
a man of action
5. (usually plural)
conduct or behaviour
6. law
a.
a legal proceeding brought by one party against another, seeking redress of a wrong or recovery of what is due; lawsuit
b.
the right to bring such a proceeding
7.
the operating mechanism, esp in a piano, gun, watch, etc
8.
(of a guitar) the distance between the strings and the fingerboard
9.
(of keyboard instruments) the sensitivity of the keys to touch
10.
the force applied to a body
the reaction is equal and opposite to the action
11.
the way in which something operates or works
12. out of action
13. physics
a.
a property of a system expressed as twice the mean kinetic energy of the system over a given time interval multiplied by the time interval
b.
the product of work or energy and time, usually expressed in joule seconds
Planck's constant of action
14.
the events that form the plot of a story, film, play, or other composition
15. military
a.
a minor engagement
b.
fighting at sea or on land
he saw action in the war
16. philosophy
behaviour which is voluntary and explicable in terms of the agent's reasons, as contrasted with that which is coerced or determined causally
17. British short for industrial action
18. informal
the profits of an enterprise or transaction (esp in the phrase a piece of the action)
19. slang
the main activity, esp social activity
verb(transitive)
20.
to put into effect; take action concerning
matters decided at the meeting cannot be actioned until the following week
exclamation
21.
a command given by a film director to indicate that filming is to begin
See also cue1 (sense 8)
Word origin
C14: accioun, ultimately from Latin āctiōn-, stem of āctiō, from agere to do, act
ACTION in American English
(ˈækʃən)
US
noun
a federal agency established in 1971 to supervise all U.S. government programs and agencies for volunteers, as the Peace Corps, VISTA, etc.
action in American English
(ˈækʃən)
noun
1.
the doing of something; state of being in motion or of working
2.
an act or thing done
3. [pl.]
behavior; habitual conduct
4.
habitual activity characterized by energy and boldness
a man of action
5.
the effect produced by something
the action of a drug
6.
the way of moving, working, etc., as of a machine, an organ of the body, etc.
7.
the moving parts or mechanism, as of a gun, piano, etc.
8.
a.
the sequence of happenings in a story or play; plot
b.
any of such happenings
c.
such happenings when exciting
9.
a legal proceeding by which one seeks to have a wrong put right; lawsuit
10.
a.
a military encounter
b.
military combat in general
11.
the appearance of animation in a painting, sculpture, etc.
12. Slang
activity or excitement; specif., gambling activity
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈbattle
Idioms:
bring action
see action
take action
Word origin
ME accion < OFr action < L actio < pp. of agere: see act1
More idioms containing
action
a slice of the action
fight a rearguard action
fight a rearguard action
COBUILD Collocations
action
aggressive action
back action
begin action
civil action
competitive action
concerted action
condemn an action
consider action
corrective action
demand action
face action
goalmouth action
justify an action
launch an action
need action
perform an action
possible action
promise action
prompt action
pursue an action
radical action
require action
support action
swift action
tough action
watch the action
Examples of 'action' in a sentence
action
They want action now to end the daily chaos to their journeys.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They added that staff had voted by nine to one for industrial action.
The Sun (2016)
The threat of court action can often result in a payout.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The issue is a lack of action by governments.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
That came after legal action by privacy campaigners against the social network.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She was still with her university sweetheart and was the last person you would expect to see in an action movie.
The Sun (2016)
This humanitarian crisis needs urgent action.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
If it does not reply, court action will begin.
The Sun (2016)
You know the one... in which he claims he will be fit to return to action next week.
The Sun (2016)
The representative added that his firm's action in this case could be seen to be over the top.
Computing (2010)
The industrial action is over pay and conditions.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The actions of any one individual do not represent our fans.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is exactly the sort of action that brings banks into disrepute.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Sometimes moments of crisis require fast action but no more.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We see this law in action in politics and public relations.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They are often empty characters whom the action happens around.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
What to take and what not to number of legal actions.
Thompson, Sir Peter Sharing the Success - the story of NFC (1990)
There was no fine or disciplinary action taken.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
You want to know the danger signals and the actions you might take.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
Those looking for decisive action thought they had found it now.
Brian Thompson DEVASTATING EDEN: The Search for Utopia in America (2004)
The pastor discussed possible church disciplinary actions at this meeting.
Christianity Today (2000)
It was to be the last major action of the war.
The Sun (2014)
The board predicted that he would be fit for action in six weeks.
John Garth TOLKIEN AND THE GREAT WAR: The Threshold of Middle-earth (2003)
Your first challenge will be to stop deferring action and beginning to take some.
Pete Cohen and Sten Cummins with Jennai Cox HABIT BUSTING: A 10-step plan that will change your life (2002)
He revived memories of the artist as action hero.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Watch footage of emergency crews in action online.
The Sun (2009)
It is long overdue time to see some action where past governments failed.
The Sun (2010)
This was the butterfly effect in action.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Your confidence deepens too and you can push important plans into action.
The Sun (2006)
Now he is returning with what is sure to be one of the action movies of the summer.
The Sun (2010)
Scores of journalists have been arrested for alleged criminal offences and risk court action and possibly time behind bars.
The Sun (2012)
The battle stations alarm rang through the ship galvanizing men into action.
Bart Davis DESTROY THE KENTUCKY (1992)
Quotations
An ounce of action is worth a ton of theoryFriedrich Engels
Actions speak louder than words
In other languages
action
British English: action /ˈækʃən/ NOUN
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
They want to see tough action taken against the criminals.
American English: action
Arabic: فِعْل
Brazilian Portuguese: ação
Chinese: 行动
Croatian: radnja
Czech: opatření
Danish: handling
Dutch: actie
European Spanish: acción
Finnish: teko
French: action
German: Handlung
Greek: δράση
Italian: azione
Japanese: 活動
Korean: 활동
Norwegian: handling
Polish: działanie kroki
European Portuguese: ação
Romanian: acțiune
Russian: действие
Latin American Spanish: acción
Swedish: åtgärd
Thai: การกระทำ
Turkish: eylem
Ukrainian: дія
Vietnamese: hành động
All related terms of 'action'
action film
a film with a fast-moving plot , usually containing scenes of violence
action hero
the hero in an action film
action man
a person who relishes physical activity
action plan
a statement of the steps that need to be taken to achieve a particular goal or objective
action shot
a still photograph that shows someone or something in motion
back action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose .
face action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
fast-action
taking effect quickly
job action
a temporary action by workers , such as refusing to work, usually undertaken because they are unhappy with their pay or working conditions, and intended to force the employer to improve these
mass action
Mass action is the effect when continuously adding reactants (= substances that are used in a reaction ) to a reaction causes it to generate products continuously.
need action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
pump-action
(of a shotgun or other repeating firearm ) operated by a slide-action mechanism feeding ammunition from a magazine under the barrel into the breech
see action
to participate in military combat
take action
to become active
action figure
a small figure of a character from a film, television programme , comic book etc, designed as a toy and often collected by enthusiasts
action group
a group of people who come together to fight for a particular cause or to carry out a particular task
action movie
a film with a fast-moving plot , usually containing scenes of violence
action-packed
full of activities, events and excitement
action point
one of a series of notes drawn up after a meeting stating what tasks need to be carried out and who will do each one
action replay
An action replay is a repeated showing , usually in slow motion, of an event that has just been on television.
action scene
A scene in a play, film, or book is part of it in which a series of events happen in the same place.
begin action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
bring action
to start a lawsuit
caster action
the tendency , caused by the design of the mounting , of a wheel to turn into its plane of rotation
civil action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
class action
A class action is a legal case brought by a group of people rather than an individual .
court action
a legal action
covert action
a secret action undertaken to influence the course of political events, as a government intelligence operation
demand action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
direct action
Direct action involves doing something such as going on strike or demonstrating in order to put pressure on an employer or government to do what you want , instead of trying to talk to them.
enemy action
offensive military action by your military enemy
police action
military activity without a declaration of war, undertaken to correct a breach of international law within or by a country
prompt action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
rising action
a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest
single-action
(of a firearm ) requiring the hammer to be cocked by hand before firing
slide-action
(of a shoulder firearm ) ejecting the empty case and reloading by means of a sliding lever
social action
individual or group behavior that involves interaction with other individuals or groups, esp. organized action toward social reform
swift action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
tough action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
action painting
a development of abstract expressionism evolved in the 1940s, characterized by broad vigorous brush strokes and accidental effects of thrown, smeared , dripped , or spattered paint
action stations
the positions taken up by individuals in preparation for or during a battle
adverse action
An adverse action notice is an official explanation by a financial institution of why they are refusing to grant credit to someone.
consider action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
delayed action
A delayed action mechanism causes a delay on the device it is fitted to, so that it does not work as soon as you switch it on or operate it.
delaying action
a measure or measures taken to gain time, as when weaker military forces harass the advance of a superior enemy without coming to a pitched battle
falling action
the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved
possible action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
promise action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
radical action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
require action
Action is doing something for a particular purpose.
Chinese translation of 'action'
action
(ˈækʃən)
n
(u) (= steps, measures) 行动(動) (xíngdòng) (次, cì)
⇒ We need government action to prevent these crimes.我们需要政府采取行动阻止这些罪行。 (Wǒmen xūyào zhèngfǔ cǎiqǔ xíngdòng zǔzhǐ zhèxiē zuìxíng.)
(c) (= deed) 行为(為) (xíngwéi) (种(種), zhǒng)
⇒ He could not be held responsible for his actions.他不应被认为要对他的行为负责。 (Tā bù yīng bèi rènwéi yào duì tā de xíngwéi fùzé.)
(c) (= movement) 动(動)作 (dòngzuò) (个(個), gè)
⇒ Their every action was recorded.他们的每个动作都被录了下来。 (Tāmen de měigè dòngzuò dōu bèi lùle xiàlái.)
(c) (in court) 诉(訴)讼(訟) (sùsòng) (起, qǐ)
⇒ a libel action诽谤诉讼 (fěibàng sùsòng)
the action (inf) 精彩的活动(動) (jīngcǎi de huódòng)
⇒ Hollywood is where the action is now.现今精彩的活动都在好莱坞。 (Xiànjīn jīngcǎi de huódòng dōu zài Hǎoláiwū.)
(u) (Mil) 行动(動) (xíngdòng) (次, cì)
⇒ military action军事行动 (jūnshì xíngdòng)
adj
[movie, hero]动(動)作的 (dòngzuò de)
to take action采(採)取行动(動) (cǎiqǔ xíngdòng)
to put a plan/policy into action将(將)计(計)划(劃)/政策付诸(諸)实(實)施 (jiāng jìhuà/zhèngcè fù zhū shíshī)
to bring an action against sb (Law) 对(對)某人提出起诉(訴) (duì mǒurén tíchū qǐsù)
killed/missing/wounded in action (Mil) 在战(戰)斗(鬥)中阵(陣)亡/失踪(蹤)/受伤(傷) (zài zhàndòu zhōng zhènwáng/shīzōng/shòushāng)
out of action[person]不能活动(動) (bùnéng huódòng) [machine]出故障 (chū gùzhàng)
All related terms of 'action'
the action
( inf ) 精彩的活动(動) jīngcǎi de huódòng ⇒ Hollywood is where the action is now. → 现今精彩的活动都在好莱坞。 Xiànjīn jīngcǎi de huódòng dōu zài Hǎoláiwū.
action replay
慢镜(鏡)头(頭)回放 mànjìngtóu huífàng [ 个(個) gè ]
out of action
( person ) 不能活动(動) bùnéng huódòng
to take action
采(採)取行动(動) cǎiqǔ xíngdòng
missing in action
作战(戰)中失踪(蹤) zuòzhàn zhōng shīzōng
a course of action
做法 zuòfǎ [ 种(種) zhǒng ]
to prepare for action
准(準)备(備)战(戰)斗(鬥) zhǔnbèi zhàndòu
to spring into action
迅速行动(動)起来(來) xùnsù xíngdòng qǐlái
to take appropriate action
采(採)取适(適)当(當)的行动(動) cǎiqǔ shìdàng de xíngdòng
killed/missing/wounded in action
( Mil ) 在战(戰)斗(鬥)中阵(陣)亡/失踪(蹤)/受伤(傷) zài zhàndòu zhōng zhènwáng/shīzōng/shòushāng
to bring an action against sb
( Law ) 对(對)某人提出起诉(訴) duì mǒurén tíchū qǐsù
he did not hesitate to take action
他毫不迟(遲)疑地采(採)取了行动(動) tā háo bù chíyí de cáiqǔ le xíngdòng