as in playful
given to good-natured joking or teasing
an elfish comedian who often played lovable drunks and wisecracking sidekicks
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Recent Examples of elfish
Santa’s elves are generous souls, not elfish.
—
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2025
But showing a recent visitor his awards, Shannon, who at 75 has a shock of snowy hair and an elfish grin, seemed almost embarrassed.
—John Horgan, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Apr. 2016
Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Dec. 2025
But showing a recent visitor his awards, Shannon, who at 75 has a shock of snowy hair and an elfish grin, seemed almost embarrassed.
—John Horgan, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Apr. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elfish
playful
Adjective
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The playful conductor will explain you are headed to La Rojeña, the oldest distillery in Latin America, in the town of Tequila, in the state of Jalisco, and where Jose Cuervo is still produced.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
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Home and family are your main focus; nevertheless, romance and playful diversions also appeal to you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elfish. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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