playful

adjective

ˈplā-fəl How to pronounce playful (audio)
Definition of playfulnext
as in amusing
given to good-natured joking or teasing the little girl was lighthearted and playful

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 playful Regardless, Hubbard, who still stays in touch with his former teammate, said surpassing McCaffrey in rushing yards wouldn’t even warrant a playful one-up text. — Will Dehmel october 2, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026 Ahmady portrays Daisy as a playful spirit, a bored young mother who throws herself into new adventures and is unconflicted when her actions happen to hurt others. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 1 Oct. 2026 Haring, whose artwork is characterized by bold outlines and rhythmic figures punctuated by playful wit, has become synonymous with the 1980s New York downtown art scene. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Kalind, the younger brother of a bonobo named Kevin, was the more excitable and playful of the two. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
  1. amusing
  2. mischievous
  3. entertaining
  4. lively
  5. merry
  6. goofy
  7. frisky
  8. energetic
Adjective
  • Soon, though, Sutskever also catches the eye of Altman and his partner Elon Musk (an amusing Ike Barinholtz, nailing him).
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There's a tricky tonal balance in treating the lawyers' gasp-inducing ruthlessness as entertaining and even amusing while also allowing its consequences to be clear.
    — Linda Holmes, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of amusing
Adjective
  • KidSuper founder Colm Dillane has always had a mischievous side.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In practice, this mischievous presence ping-pongs between maternal lies and the wholesale impersonation of other people.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • Douglas, 82, has just published an incredibly dishy, wildly entertaining, at times both hilarious and painful new memoir, One Helluva Ride.
    — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The standout among the entertaining spaces is the baby-blue kitchen, which extends from the rear of the home into a rounded turret overlooking a ravine.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of entertaining
Adjective
  • Mercury in your sign squares Mars in your 10th House, putting your voice, identity, and public responsibilities into a lively tug-of-war.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Each Lucas Duplan set will feature songs crafted to satisfy Miami’s appetite for electronic music and a lively nightlife.
    — William Jones, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of lively
Adjective
  • The friendly staff, who wear black uniforms with lettering that identifies their duties add to the hotel’s merry atmosphere.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This is a place where adults make the pilgrimage to the legendary Pinto Ron and Pizza Pete tailgate spot in the Hammer Lot where Pinto Ron's team of merry pranksters pour shots of liquor into a bowling ball finger hole.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of merry
Adjective
  • This gives the Blackjaw a more compact, natural form without having a big, goofy faux-carabiner jutting out the end.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The only player who can match Mbappé for talent is Haaland who, unlike Mbappé, has a goofy, accessible and affable persona online.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of goofy
Adjective
  • Autonomous vehicle designers have to worry about riders getting frisky in public.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Laced with Horgan’s signature combination of unsparing honesty and sparkling wit, Youth is a fleet and frisky reminder that growing into yourself is a lifelong endeavor.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of frisky
Adjective
  • By studying what happens when these energetic particles collide with target materials, scientists can investigate the shapes and sizes of atomic nuclei.
    — Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
  • About 35 times more energetic than any neutrino seen before, it was picked up by the under-construction Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) detector off the coast of Sicily.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of energetic

Browse Nearby Words

playfellows
playful
playfully
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Cite this Entry

“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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