action
[noun]
Synonyms:
- deed, accomplishment, achievement, act, exploit, feat, performance
- lawsuit, case, litigation, proceeding, prosecution, suit
- energy, activity, force, liveliness, spirit, vigour, vim, vitality
- movement, activity, functioning, motion, operation, process, working
- battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, encounter, engagement, fight, skirmish, sortie

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Related Words: discharge, effectuation, execution, fulfillment, performance, activity, behavior, operation, reaction, work, procedure, proceeding, process, affray, combat, conflict, fray

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English Thesaurus: action, act, act of violence/kindness/defiance etc, activities, behaviour, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. ac‧tion¹ S1 W1 /ˈækʃən/ noun
[Word Family: noun: act, action ≠ inaction, activity ≠ inactivity, reaction, interaction, overacting; adjective: acting, active ≠ inactive; verb: act ≠ overact; adverb: actively]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin actio, from agere; ⇒ ACT¹]

1. DOING SOMETHING [uncountable] the process of doing something, especially in order to achieve a particular thing:
The government must take action (=do something) now to stop the rise in violent crime.
action on
Environmental groups want tougher action on pollution from cars.
She was looking forward to putting her ideas into action (=doing the things she had planned).
Ambulance crews are ready to spring into action (=suddenly start doing something) if anything goes wrong during the race.

2. SOMETHING DONE [countable] something that someone does
quick/swift/prompt action
Her prompt actions probably saved my life.
The child could not be held responsible for his actions (=he was too young to be blamed for them).
defend/justify your action(s)
The chief of police tried to justify his actions.

3. in action someone or something that is in action is doing the job or activity they are trained or designed to do:
photos of ski jumpers in action
see/watch something/somebody in action
I’d like to see the new computer system in action.

4. out of action
a) broken and not working:
The photocopier is out of action again.
b) injured and unable to do anything
put/keep somebody out of action
The injury will keep him out of action for a month.

5. FIGHTING [uncountable] fighting during a war:
There have been reports of widespread enemy action in the area.
killed/wounded in action (=killed or wounded while fighting)
His father was killed in action in Vietnam.
530 servicemen were reported missing in action (=they were never seen again after a battle).
The men were sent into action with little or no training.
He had seen action (=been involved in fighting) in Korea.

6. LEGAL [uncountable and countable] a legal or formal process to decide whether someone has done something wrong:
They are threatening to take legal action against the hospital (=start a court case against them).
The director faces disciplinary action (=official action to punish him).
The matter is now the subject of a court action (=a court case).
The students agreed to drop their action (=decided not to continue with a court case or an official complaint).
The sisters brought a libel action against the newspaper (=started a court case).

7. EXCITEMENT [uncountable]
a) informal exciting things that are happening:
There hasn’t been much action around here for months.
New York is where all the action is.
b) an action film has a lot of exciting scenes in it, in which people fight, chase, and kill each other:
Gibson became famous in action movies.
a TV action hero

8. THE EVENTS IN A STORY/FILM ETC the action the events in a story, film, play etc:
Most of the action takes place in San Francisco.
The action opens (=starts) in a barbershop.

9. MOVEMENT [uncountable and countable] the way something moves or works
action of
the action of the heart
a smooth braking action

10. EFFECT [uncountable] the effect that a substance, especially a chemical, has on something
action of
The drug blocks the action of the cancer gene.
action on/upon
the action of alcohol on the liver

11. action group/committee etc a group formed to change a social or political situation – often used in names:
the Child Poverty Action Group

12. a piece/slice of the action informal an opportunity to be involved in an event or activity, especially one that will be enjoyable or will make money:
If you want a slice of the action, tickets may still be available.

13. actions speak louder than words used to say that you are judged by what you do, and not by what you say

14. action! used by film directors to give the instruction to begin filming:
Lights, camera, action!
⇒ affirmative action

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. action² verb [transitive] formal
to do a specific thing that needs to be done, especially after discussing it:
How are we actually going to action these objectives?

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

action
noun
I. process of doing sth
ADJ. decisive, effective, firm, strong, vigorous | immediate, prompt, swift, urgent | drastic, emergency The situation calls for drastic action.
collective, concerted, joint, united | direct, positive | evasive | corrective, remedial | disciplinary, legal, military, political, strike Disciplinary action will be taken against students who cheat. (see also industrial action)
VERB + ACTION take | call for | agree on The leaders have agreed on joint action to combat terrorism.
leap/spring/swing into The emergency services swung into action as soon as the disaster was reported.
carry out, perform, take Only the priest can perform these actions. We shall take whatever actions are necessary.
galvanize/prod/spur sb into We have to galvanize people into action.
bring/put sth into We need to put these ideas into action.
keep/put sb/sth out of A fire has put the factory out of action.
PREP. in ~ I have not yet seen the machines in action.
out of ~ He is out of action following an ankle injury.
~ against against drug dealers
~ on The government is taking strong action on refugees.
PHRASES a course of action Is this the best course of action to follow?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

action
II. legal case
ADJ. court | civil, criminal, libel
VERB + ACTION bring, take out Her husband brought a civil action against her after their divorce.
PREP. ~ against

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

action
III. fighting
ADJ. enemy He was killed during enemy action.
VERB + ACTION see I never saw action during the war.
PHRASES killed/missing/wounded in action He was reported missing in action.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

action

take action (=do something to deal with a problem)
The government must take action to control inflation.
demand/call for action (=ask forcefully)
Voters are demanding tougher action on gun crime.
swing/spring/leap into action (=suddenly start doing something)
The fire crew immediately swung into action.
put something into action (=start doing something you have planned to do)
She was looking forward to putting her plans into action.
The committee uses the expertise of local organisations to put these ideas into action.
immediate/prompt/swift action
The public wants immediate action to stop the terrorists.
urgent action (=that needs to be done immediately)
The Opposition called for urgent action to reduce unemployment.
firm/tough action
We need firm action to deal with the problem.
decisive action (=that has a big effect on the way something develops)
We are urging the international community to take decisive action on debt relief.
drastic action (=that has a very severe effect)
The President decided to take drastic action.
further action
No further action is necessary.
direct action (=that is aimed at making a government or company do something)
In a bid to stop whale hunting, Greenpeace have threatened direct action.
political action
Some forms of political action are more effective than others.
industrial/strike action (=that workers take in order to protest about pay, working conditions etc)
The miners voted in favour of industrial action.
joint action (=that two or more countries, organizations etc take together)
Community leaders agreed to take joint action on scientific, social and environmental issues.
a course of action
Have you decided on a course of action?
a plan of action
The General outlined his plan of action for the campaign.
Environmental groups have put forward an action plan.
be killed/wounded in action (=killed or wounded while fighting)
Four of her sons have been killed in action.
be missing in action (=used to say that a soldier has not returned after a battle and their body has not been found)
A further 9,000 allied military personnel are still officially listed as missing in action.
see action (=be involved in fighting)
By the time he was 20 he’d seen action in the Gulf War and Bosnia.
go into action
American soldiers are going into action against the Mujahadin.
be sent into action
He declared that French soldiers will not be sent into action in Iraq.
military action
America is not ruling out military action against Iran.
enemy action
The ship was damaged by enemy action.
legal action
The singer threatened legal action against the magazine.
court action
The couple are still considering whether to take court action.
a libel action (=taken against someone who has writen or printed untrue statements about you)
Judge Johan Kreigler dismissed a libel action brought against two newspapers.
a civil action (=involving business or property, rather than a crime)
The victim can seek damages in a civil action.
take legal action
He is within his rights to take legal action.
face legal action
The council demanded that we remove the posters, or face legal action.
bring a legal action
Justice Mayor ruled that she cannot bring a legal action for damages against the plaintiff.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

action
noun
1.
BAD: The actions that we do everyday are made easier by computers.
GOOD: The things that we do everyday are made easier by computers.
BAD: If someone has done a wrong action, he should be punished.
GOOD: If someone has done something wrong, he should be punished.

Usage Note:
Do and action cannot be used together. Use do + things/something/ anything etc: 'She's always doing things for charity.' 'Don't do anything that might upset them.'

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2.
BAD: It is difficult to forgive those responsible for actions of terrorism.
GOOD: It is difficult to forgive those responsible for acts of terrorism.
BAD: Blackmail is the action of trying to obtain money from someone by threatening to expose them.
GOOD: Blackmail is the act of trying to obtain money from someone by threatening to expose them.

Usage Note:
an/the act of (doing) sth (NOT action ): 'Such acts of violence will not be tolerated.' 'For some people, the very act of talking to a doctor can help them to feel better.'

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3.
BAD: Few people are aware that an urgent action is needed.
GOOD: Few people are aware that urgent action is needed.
BAD: The government should take an action to reduce the birth rate.
GOOD: The government should take action to reduce the birth rate.

Usage Note:
When you are talking about the idea or process of doing something, action is uncountable: 'There is too much talk and not enough action.'
In the phrase take action, action is always uncountable: 'This illegal trade will continue unless action is taken to stop it.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

action noun [countable] something that someone does:
He is responsible for his own actions.
They refused to give a reason for their actions.
act noun [countable] a particular type of action:
violent acts
⇒ act of violence/kindness/defiance etc:
I believe the killing was an act of desperation.
activities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim:
leisure activities
political activities
Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.
behaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave:
Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?
The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.
move noun [countable] something that you do in order to achieve something:
Her decision to sell the shares had been a smart move.
It’s a bold move to start a business in the current economic climate.
He needed time to figure out his next move.
step noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed:
The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.
We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.
This is an important step towards peace.
measure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem:
There are increased security measures at airports.
The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.
gesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something:
Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?
⇒ gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance:
The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
deed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad:
evil deeds
heroic deeds
This is my good deed for the day.
exploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions:
daring exploits
His exploits were legendary.
feat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it:
Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.
The bridge is a great feat of engineering.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

move to go to a different place, or change the position of your body:
Sarah moved away from the window.
Every time I move I get a pain in my left shoulder.
sway to move slowly from one side to the other:
The branches swayed in the wind.
Donny swayed drunkenly as he walked back to his car.
rock to move repeatedly from one side to another, with small gentle movements:
He rocked backward and forward in his chair.
The boat rocked from side to side with the waves.
wobble to move unsteadily from side to side:
The bike wobbled a bit, but she soon got it under control.
fidget to keep moving or playing with your fingers, hands, feet etc, because you are bored or nervous:
Diana fidgeted nervously with her pencil.
squirm to make very small movements from side to side with your body, especially because you feel uncomfortable:
By the end of the hour, most of the children were squirming in their seats.
wriggle to make small movements from side to side, especially in order to get into or out of something:
The dog wriggled under the fence and escaped into the street.
She managed to wriggle into the dress, but it was much too tight.
twitch if part of your body twitches, it makes small movements that you cannot control:
A muscle on Yang’s face twitched.
stir written to make a movement – used especially when describing a situation in which no one moves, or someone wakes up:
In the village a dog barked but no one stirred
The sleeping child stirred and opened her eyes.
budge to move – used when you are trying hard to make something move, often without success:
The piano wouldn’t budge.
relocate to move to a different place – used about companies, organizations, and people who work for them:
NATO’s main headquarters relocated to Brussels.
Klein is relocating to London to head up the investment banking team.
still not moving – use this especially about people who are not moving, or about places where there is no wind:
There was no wind and the trees were completely still.
Keep still while I tie your shoes.
stationary not moving – use this about cars, trains, or objects:
The truck swerved and hit a stationary vehicle.
immobile not moving or not able to move, especially because of fear or tiredness:
As the disease progressed, she became increasingly immobile.
motionless completely still – used especially in literature:
Kemp sat motionless as the verdict was read.
calm not moving because there is no wind – use this about air and water:
The lake was calm.
be at a standstill if traffic is at a standstill it is not moving:
Traffic was at a standstill on the motorway.
make a move
We made the move mainly for financial reasons.
make no move
The government made no move to hold the promised elections.
welcome the move
Environmentalists welcomed the move to limit the length of fishing nets.
oppose a move
Union members have opposed the move.
support a move
The move was supported by the government.
a move is aimed at doing something/is designed to do something
The move is aimed at strengthening its business in the region.
an important move
I cannot decide on such an important move on my own.
a bold/daring move (=taking a lot of courage)
The writers made a bold move by kiling off the main character.
a good/smart/wise move (=sensible)
I’m not sure it was a good move giving him the job.
the right move
He hoped he had made the right move in telling his father.
an unprecedented move (=never having happened before)
Barcelona began the unprecedented move of shipping in drinking water.
sb’s next move (=the next thing someone does)
What should happen next? What’s our next move?
a bad move
It was a bad move letting him come here in the first place.
a false/wrong move (=made by mistake)
One wrong move and the business might never recover.
the first move
She waited for Michael to make the first move.
a career move (=a decision that will improve the type of job you can do)
It looked like a good career move, with the possibility of promotion later.
there are moves afoot to do something British English (=there are plans, especially secret ones, to do something)
There are moves afoot to change things.
a move in the right direction
The decision seemed to be a move in the right direction.
watch/follow sb’s every move
His eyes followed Cissy’s every move.
a sudden move
She made a sudden move towards me from the doorway.
action noun [countable] something that someone does:
He is responsible for his own actions.
They refused to give a reason for their actions.
act noun [countable] a particular type of action:
violent acts
⇒ act of violence/kindness/defiance etc:
I believe the killing was an act of desperation.
activities noun [plural] things that people do, especially for enjoyment or to achieve an aim:
leisure activities
political activities
Surveys may not give a true picture of people’s activities.
behaviour British English, behavior American English noun [uncountable] the things that someone does and the way they behave:
Do you think that advertisements really influence people’s behaviour?
The man’s behaviour seemed rather odd.
step noun [countable] one of a series of things that you do in order to deal with a problem or to succeed:
The first step is to make sure we have got funding for the project.
We must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.
This is an important step towards peace.
measure noun [countable] an official action that is intended to deal with a particular problem:
There are increased security measures at airports.
The school was closed as a precautionary measure following a chemical leak.
gesture noun [countable] something that you do to show how you feel about someone or something:
Do you think it would be a nice gesture to send her some flowers?
⇒ gesture of goodwill/solidarity/defiance:
The company gave us £100 as a gesture of goodwill.
deed noun [countable] especially literary an action, especially one that is very good or very bad:
evil deeds
heroic deeds
This is my good deed for the day.
exploits noun [plural] formal exciting or brave actions:
daring exploits
His exploits were legendary.
feat noun [countable] something someone does that people admire because you need a lot of skill, courage, or strength to do it:
Completing a marathon is a remarkable feat for a six-year-old.
The bridge is a great feat of engineering.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

war noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting between countries or opposing groups within a country, with large numbers of soldiers and weapons:
He fought in World War II.
the horrors of war
conflict noun [uncountable and countable] a situation in which there is fighting or a war – used especially in news reports:
the conflict in the Middle East
There is increasing danger of armed conflict.
fighting noun [uncountable] a situation in which people or groups fight each other and try to kill each other:
The fighting went on for months.
Fighting in the north has resulted in hundreds of deaths.
hostilities noun [plural] formal fighting in a war:
The agreement called on the guerrillas to cease hostilities (=stop fighting) and begin peace talks.
warfare noun [uncountable] the activity of fighting in a war – used especially to talk about a method of fighting:
new and more advanced methods of warfare
chemical warfare
battle noun [uncountable and countable] an occasion when two armies, groups of ships etc fight each other in one place during a war:
the great naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars
the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805
He died in battle.
skirmish /ˈskɜːmɪʃ $ ˈskɜːr-/ noun [countable] a short fight between small groups of soldiers, ships etc, especially one that happens away from the main part of a war or battle:
There were minor skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani troops across the border.
combat noun [uncountable] the act of fighting, especially during a war:
Few of them had any experience of combat.
hand-to-hand combat
action noun [uncountable] military actions carried out by the army, navy etc of a country during a war – used especially in the following phrases:
He was killed in action in 1944.
Her son went missing in action.
Her grandfather saw action (=fought) in two world wars.
conflicting views/opinions/ideas
There are conflicting opinions on what causes the disease.
conflicting interests (=different things that people, countries etc want or think are important)
The two groups have conflicting interests.
conflicting emotions
I left home with conflicting emotions of sadness and excitement.
conflicting demands (=things that demand your attention)
the conflicting demands of work and family life
conflicting evidence
The witnesses at the trial gave conflicting evidence.
conflicting results
Scientific tests have produced conflicting results.
conflicting information
There’s a lot of conflicting information about what is best for you to eat.
conflicting advice
I’ve seen two doctors and been given conflicting advice.
conflicting reports/accounts
When questioned, the boys gave conflicting accounts of what they were doing that night.
conflicting theories
There are conflicting theories about the origin of the universe.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲