PERFORMANCE Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

performance

noun

pər-ˈfȯr-mən(t)s

Definition of performance

as in interpretation

a presentation of an artistic work (as a piece of music) from a particular point of view a disappointing, lackluster performance of a classic of the musical theater

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in execution

the doing of an action the performance of her nightly ritual, the taking of a warm bath, calmed her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of performance She was nominated for a Gotham TV Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026 Last year, the Irish band Kneecap faced criticism for speaking in defense of the Palestinian people during their performance at Coachella. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026 Its digitally advanced procurement organizations outperformed followers across cost savings, cost avoidance, stakeholder satisfaction and supplier performance. — Magda Paslaru, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 And Bailey will be part of an evening keynote and musical performance. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for performance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for performance

Noun

The interpretation around physical contact has become so vague that nobody can have any faith in what any referee, in any game or situation, will decide to do next.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
In the 250 years since Newton introduced his famous laws of motion, physicists had come to believe their equations described a reality that was entirely independent of human action or interpretation.

— Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of interpretation

Noun

What ‘Higher-Performance Marketing’ Means Higher-performance marketing is not measured by speed of execution.

— George Couris, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
This, together with the execution of Lyanna’s father and oldest brother by Rhaegar’s father, the titular Mad King Aerys II, spurs Lyanna’s betrothed, Robert Baratheon (Callum Woodhouse), to move against Aerys.

— Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of execution

Noun

But any system for sports that isn’t negotiated by labor—the athletes—is bound to bring about implementation and interpretation disagreements and, in some cases, litigation.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2026
The Democratic Republic of Congo sought to speed up the implementation of a strategic mining partnership with the US, which is looking to rival China’s influence in Africa.

— Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of implementation

Noun

Twain points to the dramatic differences between Parton’s original and Houston’s blockbuster rendition as an example of how a song can change dramatically while remaining fundamentally itself.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026
The Seahawks unveiled the second Super Bowl banner in team history before McCready’s strumming, which drew shades of another Seattle legend, Jimi Hendrix, and his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969.

— Andrew Destin, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of rendition

Noun

Many of the buildings were cavernous fulfillment centers built during the pandemic-era online-shopping boom that were sitting empty near highways, airports and other transportation hubs.

— María Luisa Paúl, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
With fulfillment time as the firm’s North Star KPI, the team combined RPA, low-code tools and agentic AI to speed up inbound and outbound logistics, giving AI real autonomy over routing decisions.

— Rajesh Gharpure, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of fulfillment

Browse Nearby Words

perform

performance

performances

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Performance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/performance. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of performance

noun

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