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 South Korea, a playful green cartoon dinosaur named Dooly, known for the two small tufts of hair on his head, has been a favorite for generations.
From Science Daily
Each week, Cudi will sit down with a mix of unexpected guests for wide-ranging, playful conversations that uncover new sides of both his guests and himself.
From Los Angeles Times
The Domino’s and Ryanair posts were successful because they aligned with the playful brand images they’ve crafted over time, he said.
They streamline “Monterey” into a swinging four, and Sinatra is especially playful in the second chorus—dropping words, speeding up and slowing down.
Sokolov’s eye for visual flair brings some much-needed panache to this well-worn formula, but even his playful directorial spirit isn’t enough to shake the feeling that one has seen this film before.
From Salon
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.
