Meanings
verbreact (third-person singular simple present reacts, present participle reacting, simple past and past participle reacted)
present singular third person reacts · participle present reacting · participle past reacted · past reacted · alternative rare reäct
- archaictransitiveTo act or perform a second time; to do over again; to reenact.First known use 17th c.
It is somewhat extraordinary, that the offence for which James II, was expelled, that of setting up power by assumption, should be re-acted, under another shape and form, by the parliament that expelled him.
1791, Thomas Paine, Rights of Man - transitivechemistryTo cause chemical agents to react; to cause one chemical agent to react with another.
- InternetintransitiveTo post a reaction (icon or emoji indicating how one feels about a posted message).
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo act in response.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Old Frenchre-
- Middle Englishre-
- Englishre-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éǵeti
- Proto-Italic*agō
- Latinagō
- Latināctus
- Latinācta
- Old Frenchact
- Middle Englishacte
- Englishact
- Englishreact
From re- + act. Piecewise doublet of redact.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَفَاعَلَ
- تَفَاعَلَ (tafāʕala)to act upon each other (in chemistry)
Bulgarian изпълнявам отново, реагирам
- изпълнявам отново (izpălnjavam otnovo)to act or perform a second time
- реагирам (reagiram)to return an impulse or impression
Catalan reaccionar
- reaccionarto return an impulse or impression
Dutch reageren
- reagerento return an impulse or impression
Esperanto reagi
- reagito act in response
Finnish reagoida, tehdä uudelleen
- reagoidato act in response
- tehdä uudelleento act or perform a second time
- reagoidato return an impulse or impression
- vaikuttaa vastaanto return an impulse or impression
- reagoidato act upon each other (in chemistry)
French réagir, agir de nouveau
- réagirto act in response
- agir de nouveauto act or perform a second time
- encore agirto act or perform a second time
- réagirto return an impulse or impression
- réagirto act upon each other (in chemistry)
German reagieren
- reagierento return an impulse or impression
Greek αντιδρώ
- αντιδρώ (antidró)to return an impulse or impression
Irish imoibrigh
- imoibrighto act upon each other (in chemistry)
Italian reagire
- reagireto act in response
Korean 반응하다
- 반응하다 (baneunghada)to act in response
Polish zareagować, reagować
- zareagowaćto act in response
- reagowaćto act in response
- reagowaćto return an impulse or impression
- zareagowaćto return an impulse or impression
- reagowaćto act upon each other (in chemistry)
- zareagowaćto act upon each other (in chemistry)
Portuguese reagir, reagir
- reagirto act in response
- reagirto return an impulse or impression
Romanian reacționa
- reacționato act in response
Russian реаги́ровать, отреаги́ровать
- реаги́ровать (reagírovatʹ)to act in response
- отреаги́ровать (otreagírovatʹ)to act in response
- среаги́ровать (sreagírovatʹ)to act in response
- реаги́ровать (reagírovatʹ)to act upon each other (in chemistry)
- прореаги́ровать (proreagírovatʹ)to act upon each other (in chemistry)
- среаги́ровать (sreagírovatʹ)to act upon each other (in chemistry)
Spanish reaccionar, reaccionar
- reaccionarto act in response
- reaccionarto return an impulse or impression
Swedish reagera
- reagerato return an impulse or impression
Turkish reaksiyon göstermek
- reaksiyon göstermekto return an impulse or impression
Ukrainian реагува́ти, відреагува́ти
- реагува́ти (reahuváty)to return an impulse or impression
- відреагува́ти (vidreahuváty)to return an impulse or impression
- зреагува́ти (zreahuváty)to return an impulse or impression
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with react
contactactfactcontractimpactabstractexactextractpackedinteractbackedattracttractintactcrackedpactsubtractenactdistracttransacttactcounteractretractdetract
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
react. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/react
MLA
“react.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/react. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “react,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/react.
Source: react on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.