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Synonyms

plaything

American  
[pley-thing] / ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ /

noun

  1. a thing to play with; toy.

  2. a person who is used capriciously and selfishly by another.

plaything British  
/ ˈpleɪˌθɪŋ /

noun

  1. a toy

  2. a person regarded or treated as a toy

    he thinks she is just his plaything
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of plaything

First recorded in 1665–75; play + thing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The pair are now reprising their roles from the 2018 movie in a new series seven episode called Plaything.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

Although a big Black Mirror fan, Gribben hadn't seen Bandersnatch but says that coming to Plaything fresh actually aided his performance.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

The pair are now reprising their roles from the 2018 interactive movie in a new episode called Plaything.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2025

General Electric scientists demonstrated: X-Ray Farm— Plaything of the General Electric staff is their monstrous x-ray farm on the laboratory roof.

From Time Magazine Archive

Other local names for it are Staunch grass, Carpenters' weed, and Bloodwort: also, "Old Man's Mustard," "Bad Man's Plaything," and "Devil's Plaything."

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.