playful
Americanadjective
-
full of play or fun; sportive; frolicsome.
-
pleasantly humorous or jesting.
a playful remark.
adjective
-
full of high spirits and fun
a playful kitten
-
good-natured and humorous
a playful remark
Other Word Forms
- half-playful adjective
- half-playfully adverb
- half-playfulness noun
- playfully adverb
- playfulness noun
- unplayful adjective
- unplayfully adverb
Etymology
Origin of playful
First recorded in 1200–50, playful is from the Middle English word pleiful. See play, -ful
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.
In The Bear and the Doll, she brought playful charm to a comedic role, proving her range across genres.
From BBC
In The Bear and the Doll , she brought playful charm to a comedic role, proving her range across genres.
From BBC
Times offices, I gathered piles of old papers and envisioned Michael and Greg in a flurry of pages, an energetic and playful nod to their show’s spirit.
From Los Angeles Times
But Castro succeeds by zeroing in on the moments away from the spotlight where Quintanilla’s playful personality and vulnerable ambivalence paint her in a new, more humane light.
From Los Angeles Times
It's got the touchy-feely, we're-not-uptight family atmosphere, full of playful laughs and children clambering over their parents.
From BBC
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.
