performance
gb/pɚfˈɔɹməns/ us/pɚfˈɔɹməns/
A2
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
Act of presenting entertainment
When someone acts, dances, sings, or plays music for people to watch or listen to.
Usage pattern:
a performance of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'performance' with 'practice' or 'rehearsal', which happen before the real event.
Synonyms
show (More informal; can refer to any entertainment event, not necessarily live.)
|
presentation (More formal; can apply to non-entertainment contexts.)
Antonyms
rehearsal (Refers to practice before the actual entertainment event.)
Collocations
live performance
|stage performance
|musical performance
|give a performance
|public performance
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The band gave an amazing performance last night.
- Her performance in the play received great reviews.
- We attended a live performance at the theater.
Learner examples
- The singer gave a good performance.
- We saw a dance performance.
- The actor's performance was very strong.
Noun
B1
property
2
Quality of doing a task
How well a person or thing works or does a job.
Usage pattern:
the performance of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'performance' with 'result'; 'performance' is about the quality of doing something, not just the outcome.
Synonyms
achievement (Focuses more on results rather than the process.)
|
output (Often used for measurable work results, especially in technical contexts.)
Antonyms
failure (Complete lack of success in doing the task.)
Collocations
job performance
|performance review
|improve performance
|high performance
|poor performance
Themes
business
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her performance at work has improved this year.
- The car's performance on rough roads is excellent.
- We need to monitor the machine's performance closely.
Learner examples
- His job performance is very good.
- This phone has good performance.
- The team's performance was poor.
Noun
B2
action
3
Carrying out an action or duty
The act of doing something that you have to do.
Usage pattern:
the performance of [an action/duty/task]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'show' meaning; this sense is about doing duties, not entertaining people.
Synonyms
execution (More formal; common in legal and technical contexts.)
|
implementation (Focuses on putting a plan into action.)
Antonyms
neglect (Failure to perform duties or tasks.)
Collocations
performance of duties
|performance of obligations
|performance under contract
Themes
formal
|law
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company's performance of its contractual obligations was timely.
- Performance of these tasks requires great care.
- He was praised for his performance of community service.
Learner examples
- She was thanked for her performance of the job.
- The performance of the work took two days.
- His performance of the duty was fast.
Grammar
Dictionary form
performance
IPA
GB/pɚfˈɔɹməns/
US/pɚfˈɔɹməns/
Syllables & stress
per - form - ance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (per)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: performance
- Plural: performance, performances
Word family
Forms
performances
noun
Related words
outperform
verb C1
Negative and opposite forms
underperform
verb B2
Advanced or less common
performative
adjective
Expressions
give a performance
1/ɡˈɪv ə pɚfˈɔɹməns/
fixed phrase
Present an entertainment event
To act, sing, dance, or play music for people to watch or listen to.
Examples
- The orchestra will give a performance at the city hall tonight.
- She gave a wonderful performance in the school play.
high-performance
1/hˈaɪ pɚfˈɔɹməns/
fixed phrase
Working with great efficiency/power
Able to work very well and quickly compared to others.
Examples
- They bought a high-performance sports car.
- Our company produces high-performance computers for gaming.
performance review
1/pɚfˈɔɹməns ɹɪvjˈu/
fixed phrase
Employee work evaluation meeting
A formal meeting where a boss talks about how well you are doing your job.
Examples
- My annual performance review is scheduled for next week.
- During the performance review, we discussed my strengths and areas to improve.