frolic

1 of 3

adjective

frol·​ic ˈfrä-lik How to pronounce frolic (audio)
: full of fun : merry
Contrasting the stern anxiety of his present mood with the frolic spirit of the preceding year …Nathaniel Hawthorne

frolic

2 of 3

verb

frolicked; frolicking

intransitive verb

1
: to amuse oneself : make merry
I didn't choose the school so I could frolic in the quadHugh Gallagher
2
: to play and run about happily : romp
children frolicking in the park
frolicker noun

frolic

3 of 3

noun

1
: a playful or mischievous action
2
a
: an occasion or scene of fun : party
b

Did you know?

Frolic is a word rooted in pleasure. Its most common function today is as a verb meaning “to play and run about happily,” as in “children frolicking in the waves,” but it joined the language in the 16th century as an adjective carrying the meaning of its Dutch source vroolijk: “full of fun; merry.” Shakespeare’s Puck used it this way in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, saying “And we fairies … following darkness like a dream, now are frolic.” Verb use quickly followed, and by the early 17th century the word was also being used as a noun, as in “an evening of fun and frolic.”

Examples of frolic in a Sentence

Adjective the frolic atmosphere that envelops New Orleans during Mardi Gras Verb We watched the seals as they frolicked in the harbor. children frolicking in the yard Noun We went out for a frolic in the sun. an evening of fun and frolic
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Parent heaven: a place to hang out under shade trees while the little ones frolic. Sarah Shemkus, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2023 Sixteen cute canines are in full frolic mode, acting silly in the snow. Christina Barron, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022 His family, including daughter Stella, barely 10 then, frolic by the pool playing ping-pong, lark around on the balcony that overhangs it and sit on the top of a cliff amid a lush onetime plantation. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2022
Verb
While the Gonzalez family frolicked in the flurries, truck driver Derrick Pitts was just trying to get back on his way home to Washington, D.C. Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 Whether flaunting his new lover in front of Monk, frolicking in the family’s swimming pool in the middle of the night or enjoying a cocktail for breakfast, Cliff is the screw-up an audience can’t help but adore. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 15 Feb. 2024 After early piglet-hood, they are released to frolic and forage in huge dehesas, rolling forests partially converted to pastures. Bonnie Berkowitz, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024 His achievement prompted obituaries eulogizing his life full of frolicking on the farm and articles about how dog owners could help their pets also live for decades. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 Rudolf’s five children played with tortoises, cats and lizards at their villa near the Polish city of Krakow; in the summer, the siblings frolicked in a pool in their yard or swam in a nearby river. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024 In the accompanying music video, the pair of rappers frolic through their winter wonderland. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2023 There are people in giant star costumes frolicking on the stage. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Dec. 2023 Book now at Airbnb Eco-friendly Courtesy VRBO Alternate between dips in the pool and frolicking in the ocean. Laura Giannatempo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Nov. 2023
Noun
My 9-year-old agrees that any good winter frolic should be followed by hot chocolate, ideally festooned with mini marshmallows. Olga Massov, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2024 Despite the high stakes and casual violence of the film, Pitt's character remains giddy as he frolics, dances, and snaps. Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2023 Miller invented the naked frolic in the woods, nearly impossible afterward to peel from the history. Stacy Schiff, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022 The Caterham is a frolic for garage-aholics, but journey nightly to that edifice prepared to grapple with a dozen childproof caps. Larry Webster, Car and Driver, 23 Aug. 2023 This undemanding frolic only wants to restore your sense of childlike play. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2023 In a 26-second teaser trailer, Peach frolics around a version of the Mushroom Kingdom that looks like a theater production. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 June 2023 Now the 20 woodland creatures who invaded the Nasher’s bucolic backyard, portrayed in forest-green costumes by six Pilobolus dancers and 14 from Booker T., are back to frolic amid the artwork. Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, 18 May 2023 At the end of Sally Potter’s Orlando, the eponymous (sorry for the big word; maybe just switch to TikTok) centuries-old gender-shifting protagonist played by Tilda Swinton sits beneath a tree while her little daughter frolics in a field before her. Spin Staff, SPIN, 2 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frolic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Dutch vroolijk, from Middle Dutch vrolijc, from vro happy; akin to Old High German frō happy

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1548, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frolic was circa 1548

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Dictionary Entries Near frolic

Cite this Entry

“Frolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frolic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frolic

1 of 2 verb
ˈfräl-ik
frolicked; frolicking
: to play about happily : romp
frolicker noun

frolic

2 of 2 noun
frol·​ic
1
: a playful or mischievous action
2
: a good time : fun

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