performance
Other forms: performances
Performance has to do with doing something: a concert or play is a performance, and if you want to talk about how well the actors did, you'd rate their performance.
The main sense of performance is artsy: actors and musicians (and other performers) give performances. You could praise an actor's performance in a movie, but this word extends to other kinds of work and accomplishments as well. If you're failing math, your performance is below par. An athlete can get in trouble for taking performance-enhancing drugs: drugs that make their performance better. Anytime you're talking about how something or someone works — or performs — you're talking about performance.
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the act of performing; of doing something successfully; using knowledge as distinguished from merely possessing it“they criticised his performance as mayor”“experience generally improves performance”synonyms: carrying into action, carrying out, executiontypes:specific performancethe performance of a legal contract as specified by its termslinguistic performance(linguistics) a speaker's actual use of language in real situations; what the speaker actually says, including grammatical errors and other non-linguistic features such as hesitations and other disfluencies (contrasted with linguistic competence)officiationthe performance of a religious or ceremonial or public dutytype of:actionsomething done (usually as opposed to something said)
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the act of presenting a play or a piece of music or other entertainment“we congratulated him on his performance at the rehearsal”“an inspired performance of Mozart's C minor concerto”types:encorean extra or repeated performance; usually given in response to audience demandextemporisation, extemporization, improvisationa performance given extempore without planning or preparationconjuration, conjuring trick, deception, illusion, legerdemain, magic, magic trick, thaumaturgy, trickan illusory feat; considered magical by naive observersmusical performancethe act of performing musicone-night standa performance in one place on one night onlyinterpretation, rendering, renditionthe act of interpreting something as expressed in an artistic performancereprisethe act of performing a role againreinterpretationa new or different interpretationspina distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion)playingthe act of playing a musical instrumentjam sessionan impromptu jazz concertbillthe entertainment offered at a public presentationcard tricka trick performed with playing cardstype of:demonstration, presentation, presentmenta show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view
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a dramatic or musical entertainment“they listened to ten different performances”“the play ran for 100 performances”“the frequent performances of the symphony testify to its popularity”synonyms: public presentationtypes:benefita performance to raise money for a charitable causeconcerta performance of music by players or singers not involving theatrical stagingpianismperformance by or technique of a pianistplay readingperformance of a play by a group of readerspremierethe first public performance of a play or movierecitalperformance of music or dance especially by soloistssong and dancetheatrical performance combining singing and dancingspectaculara lavishly produced performanceworld premiere(music) the first public performance (as of a dramatic or musical work) anywhere in the worldshow-stopper, showstopper, stopperan act so striking or impressive that the show must be delayed until the audience quiets downbenefit concerta concert given for the benefit of some charitable causerock concerta performance of rock musicmatineea theatrical performance held during the daytime (especially in the afternoon)type of:showa social event involving a public performance or entertainment
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process or manner of functioning or operating“they compared the cooking performance of each oven”“the jet's performance conformed to high standards”synonyms: functioning, operationtype of:physical process, processa sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states
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any recognized accomplishment“they admired his performance under stress”“when Roger Maris powers four home runs in one game, his performance merits awe”types:overachievementbetter than expected performance (better than might have been predicted from intelligence tests)underachievementpoorer than expected performance (poorer than might have been predicted from intelligence tests)type of:
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Vocabulary lists containing performance
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