perform
HighNeutral to formal (depending on context). It is appropriate in everyday, academic, and professional language.
Definition
Meaning
To carry out or execute an action, task, or function; to present or enact something (like a play, music, or dance) before an audience.
Can imply fulfilling an obligation or duty; to function or operate in a specified way, often under pressure or scrutiny; also used to describe how well a product, system, or investment behaves.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The verb often implies a degree of skill, formality, or public observation. It can be transitive (perform a task) or intransitive (the engine performs well). The 'public presentation' sense usually requires a direct object (perform a sonata).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major grammatical differences. The 'carry out a task' sense is slightly more formal in everyday UK English, where 'do' is often preferred. In US business contexts, 'perform' is very common in performance reviews and metrics.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries connotations of professionalism and measurable outcomes. In artistic contexts, it is completely neutral.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects, but the collocation 'perform well/badly' (for objects or systems) is extremely common in US technical/business English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SV (The team performed well.)SVO (She performed a song.)SVO-A (He performed the role brilliantly.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Perform miracles”
- “Perform wonders”
- “Perform to the best of one's ability”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for employees, systems, or investments (e.g., 'The new model performs above expectations.').
Academic
Common in scientific writing for experiments and procedures (e.g., 'The test was performed in triplicate.').
Everyday
Most common in the arts (e.g., 'They're performing at the local theatre tonight.') or general tasks (e.g., 'I need to perform a system update.').
Technical
Describes the operational capabilities of machines, software, or materials (e.g., 'The alloy performs well under extreme heat.').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The surgeon will perform the operation tomorrow.
- The band is due to perform at Glastonbury.
- This software performs poorly on older hardware.
American English
- The committee is performing its review this week.
- She performed the national anthem at the game.
- The stock has performed exceptionally well this quarter.
adverb
British English
- N/A (The adverb is 'performingly', which is extremely rare and not standard.)
American English
- N/A (The adverb is 'performingly', which is extremely rare and not standard.)
adjective
British English
- N/A (The adjective is 'performing', as in 'performing arts' or 'a performing seal'.)
American English
- N/A (The adjective is 'performing', as in 'high-performing team' or 'performing artist'.)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children will perform a song for their parents.
- A doctor performs operations.
- You must perform this safety check every week.
- The actor performed the role of Hamlet very emotionally.
- The engine is designed to perform efficiently at high altitudes.
- Despite the noise, she performed the piece flawlessly.
- The new policy has performed contrary to all predictions, exacerbating the issue it sought to solve.
- He argues that institutions perform a vital legitimising function in society.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PERFormer on a FORM. They are carrying out an act (performing) on a stage (which is a form/platform).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE (e.g., 'perform a role in society'), FUNCTIONING IS PERFORMING (e.g., 'the car performs smoothly').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'представлять' (to present/introduce). 'Perform' is about the action of doing, not just showing. 'Исполнять' is often a closer match for duties or music.
- Avoid using 'perform' for simple, informal actions where 'do' or 'make' is better (e.g., 'I performed a sandwich' is wrong).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I performed to cook dinner.' Correct: 'I performed the task of cooking dinner.' or simply 'I cooked dinner.'
- Incorrect: 'He performed a mistake.' Correct: 'He made a mistake.'
- Incorrect use of prepositions: 'perform at a task' (should be 'perform a task').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'perform' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While common in the arts, it is widely used in technical, medical, and business contexts to mean 'carry out' or 'function'.
'Perform' is more formal and often implies a degree of skill, ceremony, or public accountability. 'Do' is general and informal. You 'do' homework, but a surgeon 'performs' surgery.
Yes, in its intransitive sense, meaning 'to function' or 'to execute a performance'. E.g., 'The car performs well on hills.' or 'The orchestra will perform at 8 pm.'
The main noun forms are 'performance' (the act of performing or how well something performs) and 'performer' (a person or thing that performs).