toy
Americannoun
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toys
plural
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an object, often a small representation of something familiar, as an animal or person, for children or others to play with; plaything.
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a thing or matter of little or no value or importance; a trifle.
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something that serves for or as if for diversion, rather than for serious practical use.
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a small article of little value but prized as a souvenir or for some other special reason; trinket; knickknack; bauble.
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something diminutive, especially in comparison with like objects.
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an animal of a breed or variety noted for smallness of size.
The winning terrier at the dog show was a toy.
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a close-fitting cap of linen or wool, with flaps coming down to the shoulders, formerly worn by women in Scotland.
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a simple, light piece of music, especially of 16th or 17th century England, written for the virginal.
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Obsolete.
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amorous dallying.
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a playful or amusing act; diversion; pastime.
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adjective
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made or designed for use as a toy.
a toy gun.
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of or resembling a toy, especially diminutive in size.
verb (used without object)
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toys,
present (3rd person singular)
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toyed,
past participle, past
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toying
present participle
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to amuse oneself; play.
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to act idly; or with indifference; trifle.
to toy with one's food.
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to dally amorously; flirt.
noun
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an object designed to be played with
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something that is a nonfunctioning replica of something else, esp a miniature one
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( as modifier )
a toy guitar
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any small thing of little value; trifle
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something small or miniature, esp a miniature variety of a breed of dog
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( as modifier )
a toy poodle
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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toysimple
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toyssimple
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have toyedperfect
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has toyedperfect
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am toyingprogressive
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are toyingprogressive
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is toyingprogressive
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have been toyingperfect progressive
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has been toyingperfect progressive
Past
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toyedsimple
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had toyedperfect
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was toyingprogressive
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were toyingprogressive
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had been toyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of toy
1275–1325; Middle English toye dalliance; of obscure origin
Explanation
A toy is an object that's made for a child to play with. Your favorite childhood toy might have been a dollhouse, a stuffed animal, or a set of blocks. Some toys are specifically designed for play, like a small wooden train set or a baby's shape sorter. You can also make toys out of everyday objects and materials—a piece of paper can take the shape of a toy airplane, and a saucepan can become a toy drum. Very small dogs are another kind of toy, like a toy poodle. When you use it as a verb, toy means "move or handle absent-mindedly."
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.
See Examples For:
The toy company is trying different things in hopes of repeating the huge success of the 2023 “Barbie” film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
Moreover, the country was able to drastically reduce its dependence on China, which held a 70% share of the local toy market.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
He throws a toy that nearly hits a prosecutor.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
During his tenure at Mattel, Kreiz pushed the company beyond its traditional toy business, seeking to turn brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels into franchises that could generate movies, television shows and games.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
My teacher makes the outside world sound scary—full of adults who aren't any better at sharing than my classmates Shyam and Srikant, who play tug-of-war with every book and toy.
From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman
The El Segundo company has been trying to find more ways to turn its roster of beloved toys into bigger moneymakers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
It also taps into nostalgia for the toy cars, which originated after English engineer Jack Odell designed the first model to comply with a 1952 British school rule requiring toys to fit inside a matchbox.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
You might hire an estate sale pro if your home is filled with furniture, knickknacks, tableware, toys, art and collectibles that others might buy, albeit for minimal prices.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was based on actual stuffed toys of the author's son, Christopher Robin Milne.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
For my birthday that year, I got one of those plastic keyboard toys done up in cotton-candy pink, the kind with fat keys that played way out of tune and drove grown-ups crazy.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
Altman has long toyed with the idea of getting the federal government involved with OpenAI, asking whether it would be interested in funding the AI lab years before ChatGPT launched.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
This year, “Exit 8” and the upcoming “Backrooms” toyed with a less-is-more approach to claustrophobic, liminal horror.
From Salon ● May 25, 2026
In no episode has Kelly made this clearer than in the one that ran on Nov. 12, in which she toyed with a bit of Jeffrey Epstein apologia.
From Slate ● May 6, 2026
They toyed with “M. Butterfly,” the masterpiece that earned Hwang his Tony, but kept gravitating toward “Flower Drum Song.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
“He’s toyed with us every step of the way, and now he’s doing it again. Why else would he require three copies of the Crystal Key to open the final gate?”
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
She can sound like Vaughan; she does for one passage here on “Ever Since the One I Love’s Been Gone,” yet then immediately breaks free, toying wildly with the pitch of the very next note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
As an epidemiologist who knows far too much about infectious disease, I’m still toying with going on a cruise next year with my family.
From Slate ● May 16, 2026
Last summer, rumors swirled that Jeff Bezos was toying with buying Vogue, and possibly Condé Nast, for his bride as a wedding present.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
I don’t really know what it will be yet, but I’ve just been toying with different songs and different things and maybe that leads to nothing, but maybe it doesn’t.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
Was she toying with me like a cat does a trapped mouse?
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
