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
Etymology
Origin of playful
First recorded in 1200–50, playful is from the Middle English word pleiful. See play, -ful
Explanation
Use the adjective playful to describe someone who likes to have fun and doesn't take things too seriously. A playful kindergarten teacher makes everything seem like a game, even lining up to go outside for recess. A group of cheerful kids playing musical chairs at a birthday party can be called playful, and so can a litter of wiggly puppies. A playful joke might be mischievous, but it's meant in a silly, friendly way. This word has been around since the thirteenth century, in the sense of "full of play." The Old English root word is plegan, which means "frolic, move rapidly, make sport of, or play music."
Vocabulary lists containing playful
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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Tone and Point of View, List 2
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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.
Titled “Sleeping Beauties in Science,” it offered a playful term for papers that go unappreciated—as measured by how many times they are cited by other papers—before being “awakened” by a wave of attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Likely not, and whether you lean spooky or playful, the days and weeks leading up to Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
A tribute issued by his family called him a "happy, cheeky, playful" boy who loved to laugh.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Sansone also opened up about the vision behind their celebration, explaining that she wanted to strike a balance between classic elegance and more playful touches.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
She smiled, and I swear it wasn’t cute, it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t playful, it wasn’t anything other than brave, and that smile bobbed like a buoy in the pit of me.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
