as in amusing
given to good-natured joking or teasing
the little girl was lighthearted and playful
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of playful
The style here is exuberant and playful rather than stuffy or serious.
—
Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2025
The idea came from a playful exchange on social media, where Johnson invited O'Neal to choose the time and place for their showdown.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
From Carol Stream, Kyle Daily’s knives have playful handles with a contoured coke-bottle shape, whimsical file work along the spine and studs pressed in like polka-dots.
—Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Embrace authentic storytelling, playful language and unique design.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playful
Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2025
The idea came from a playful exchange on social media, where Johnson invited O'Neal to choose the time and place for their showdown.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
From Carol Stream, Kyle Daily’s knives have playful handles with a contoured coke-bottle shape, whimsical file work along the spine and studs pressed in like polka-dots.
—Ahmed Ali Akbar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Embrace authentic storytelling, playful language and unique design.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
Also amusing is Fiona Glascott as Lady Violet, an old acquaintance of Sherlock’s who specializes officially in schooling young ladies like Clara to join British high society and unofficially in casting her imperious judgment everywhere.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
-
And while the vision of Young, a vigorous 70 in his trademark schoolboy shorts, tie, crew socks and black shoes, is always amusing, there was nothing but serious respect for his finger-blistering playing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ramona is an imaginative (and mischievous) fourth grader who is always up to something.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
10 Apr. 2025
-
However, the house is haunted, and the group must confront their differences to survive the night against a host of mischievous ghosts.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Beautiful glassware/barware and accessories for a table or entertaining space are still strong sellers.—
Maggie Gillette,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, Stratton has noticeably regressed as WWE Women’s Champion after a very entertaining run as Ms. Money in the Bank.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Panelists had been carefully chosen and the moderators ensured lively debates took place.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
To introduce persimmon in a balanced way, Bassford recommends incorporating the color into decorative touches like wallpaper, upholstery, or bedding for a lively yet harmonious effect.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sister Mary Guadalupe wears rimless glasses, and her eyes are shaped like a merry jack-o’-lantern’s, flat on the bottom with semicircles on top.—
Lawrence Wright,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Women deserve their own places at the top, and if that means more women are founding companies, the more, the merrier.—
Liz Elting,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Pearl Breed: Pit terrier mix Age: 2 years old Pearl is a cuddly, goofy, playful pup looking for her forever home.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Betty’s world is introduced with real decor, like a big grey bed and an amusingly goofy invention of Grampy’s, but the handmade quality falls by the wayside as most of the rest of David Rockwell’s sets are conjured via that old menace, the big flat LED screen.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The energy rises as the wrestler and the rapper take energetic strides and bounce to the ring.—
Shaheem Reid,
Variety,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Our sun cycles through its pattern of energetic activity every 11 years, but the technology scientists use to observe is advancing at a faster pace.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Light, frisky, sparky, acidic aromas of a lovely matrix of mandarins and honey, butterscotch and butter.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Any hope of the U.S. team making the final in San Francisco after glimmers of a good performance — like being in third place during the final race — evaporated as the crew struggled to maintain stable flight on its frisky F50 boat.—
Andrew Rice,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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