react
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to change your behaviour or feelings because of something that happens.
v.to act in response to a stimulus, event, or situation. Intransitive; typically takes the preposition 'to'.
Simple“How did your parents react when you told them you were moving?”
In context“The markets reacted sharply to the central bank's announcement, with stock prices falling within minutes of the press conference.”
PitfallHe reacted at the news by crying. He reacted to the news by crying.The verb 'react' is followed by the preposition 'to' when identifying the cause of the response.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change when mixed with another substance.
v.to undergo a chemical change when in contact with another substance or energy source. Often used with 'with'.
Simple“The acid will react with the metal and create small bubbles.”
In context“When the two compounds react under high pressure, they form a stable polymer that is resistant to heat.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to use an emoji or icon to show how you feel about a post online.
v.to post a digital reaction, such as an emoji, to indicate a specific emotional response to a message or post.
Simple“I didn't have time to reply, so I just reacted with a heart emoji.”
In context“Users can now react to individual messages in the thread, allowing for quicker feedback without cluttering the conversation with text.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an emoji or icon used to show a feeling on social media.
n.a specific emoji or symbolic icon selected by a user to express a sentiment toward a digital post.
Simple“The post got over a hundred likes and several angry reacts.”
In context“The community manager noted that the 'laugh' react was being used sarcastically on the company's official announcement.”
Synonyms
Usage reacted angrily
From re- + act. Piecewise doublet of redact.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.