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act unnaturally

[ækt ʌnˈnætʃərəli]
verb phrase
agir de forma antinatural
1. to behave in a way that is not genuine, authentic, or characteristic of one's normal personality; to behave affectedly or artificially
She was acting unnaturally around her new boyfriend, trying too hard to impress him.
Ela estava agindo de forma antinatural perto do seu novo namorado, tentando muito impressioná-lo.
2. to perform actions that go against one's nature or instincts
He was acting unnaturally by suppressing his true feelings.
Ele estava agindo de forma antinatural ao reprimir seus verdadeiros sentimentos.
NYC Slang
being fake, putting on airs, not keeping it real
Synonyms
act affectedlybehave artificiallyput on an actfeignpretend
Antonyms
act naturallybe genuinebe authenticbe sincere

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
agir de forma antinatural
most common usage across Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
agir de jeito estranho
colloquial variant
São Paulo
agir falsamente
emphasizes the false nature of the behavior
Portugal
agir de forma pouco natural
common in formal contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

put on a show
wearing a mask
not being yourself
putting on an act
playing a part
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