action

Everyday

1. An action is something that someone does, like running, jumping or cooking. tree →
2. Action means doing things, not just talking: «We need action!». tree →
3. Action is exciting events in a film or a game: «an action film». tree →
4. An action figure is a small toy person, often a hero. tree →

In the lessons

a thing done in a story, such as giving, buying or eating, that changes the amounts; also action figures, which are toys; in grammar, a verb is an action word; in science, every action has an equal and opposite reaction; phrases: «take action», «in action», «action figure», «action word»

Examples

• Every action in the story changes how many apples Sam has. tree →
• Ben has 15 action figures. tree →
• He buys 3 more action figures. tree →
• Count the action that happens last. tree →
• «Jump» and «run» are action words. tree →
• We took action to clean up the playground. tree →
• I watched the firefighters in action. tree →
• Kind actions make friends. tree →
• It is quite remarkable how one good action always breeds another. tree →

Note

Countable: an action, actions. Often part of «action figures», which is just the thing counted. In explanations an action (give, sell, eat, find) tells whether to add or take away. «Actions speak louder than words» means what you do matters more than what you say.

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah, thought, speech and action together describe God's creating, with writing as a figure for it. In Hannah's prayer "by Him actions are weighed" means that God judges what people do.

Interpretation. Tradition reads creation as made through God's word and the Hebrew letters, so divine thought, speech and deed are one. Hannah's words are read as teaching that God judges deeds fairly, and no proud boast can hide them.

Examples

• Source: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/SepherYetzirah (/Preface, /Introduction, /SepherYetzirah), fetched via index.php?action=render on 2026-10-17. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• The word sefirot by itself is the plural action noun of סָפַר safar 'to count', thus meaning literally 'countings'. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →
• Thought, speech and action are an inseparable unity in the divine being; God made or created, is metaphorically expressed by the word: writing. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• Multiply not exceeding proud talk; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. (Prophets 1SA.2.3, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable: an action, actions. Often part of «action figures», which is just the thing counted. In explanations an action (give, sell, eat, find) tells whether to add or take away. «Actions speak louder than words» means what you do matters more than what you say.