Performing

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pɚˈfɔɹmɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Engaging in the act of carrying out a specific action or task
2. Executing a duty or action with effort and skill
3. Actively doing something to complete a function or job

Etymology: "Performing" is the present participle and gerund of "perform," so its history is that of the verb it comes from. "Perform" was formed in Anglo-Norman and Middle English from the prefix "per-," meaning "thoroughly" or "through," and the Old French "former," meaning "to form" or "to shape." The sense of the root is to bring something fully into shape, which is why "perform" came to mean carrying a task through to completion. The "-ing" ending is the ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a participle or verbal noun, so "performing" simply describes the act of carrying something out. The meaning in the sense given here, executing a duty or action with effort and skill, follows the same line: a performance is a thing completed in full, and performing is the ongoing doing of it.

Synonyms: acting, presenting, executing, conducting, displaying

Antonyms: withdrawing, retreating, ceasing, avoiding, abstaining