1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

frolic 1 of 3

noun

Definition of frolicnext
1
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke we indulgently listened to the senior citizens share memories of long-ago frolics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in spree
a time or instance of carefree fun took the long weekend as a three-day frolic and spent it at the beach

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in relaxation
activity engaged in to amuse oneself firmly believes that childhood should be a time of carefree frolic

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frolic

2 of 3

adjective

ˈfrä-lik How to pronounce frolic (audio)
as in joyful
joyously unrestrained the frolic atmosphere that envelops New Orleans during Mardi Gras

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

frolic

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to cavort
to play and run about happily scores of swimmers were frolicking in the ocean surf along the beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement he would rather frolic than do yard work any day of the week

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frolic
Noun
In tom thit heo, from southern Vietnam, shrimp and thin slices of pork shoulder frolic in a stir-fry heady with lemongrass and black pepper. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 14 Apr. 2026 And Ben Ahlers, who plays the adult Happy, comes with that actor’s famously warm smile and chirpy demeanor, slowly worn down here before your eyes, as the permissible frolics of youth turn into the stasis of one going nowhere. — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Go ahead, frolic outdoors, but be alert to the seasonal hazards! — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 26 June 2025 Pods of porpoises frolic, and a playful minke whale shimmers in the afternoon sun. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024
Verb
Many a time while working in the field, Walker and her team saw their target species frolicking above their heads, yet their nets remained frustratingly empty at the end of the night. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The star took a break from basking in the sun and frolicking through the waves, lining up on the white sand in front of the ocean with her BFFs for a silly dance party. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frolic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frolic
  1. prank
  2. spree
  3. relaxation
  4. joyful
  5. cavort
  6. play
  7. adventure
  8. romp
Noun
  • The set includes a variety of items, including a new book entitled Slappy’s Book of Pranks, which includes directions for over 20 different pranks, Slappy trivia, a history of pranking, jokes and an introduction by Stine himself.
    — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • That was also when many of the brand’s signature aesthetics — the black-and-white [as] logo, bumps and interstitials that break the fourth wall, and legendary April Fool’s Day pranks — began to take shape.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Los Angeles is set to go on an affordable housing spending spree.
    — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • And wouldn’t the Father’s spree, therefore, be an act not of cruelty, but of liberation?
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of spree
Noun
  • Ash, the hotel spa, has a steam room and sauna, nail studio, fitness center, boutique, relaxation lounge and five treatment rooms.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Spring for a scrub and a massage for extra relaxation, and unwind in the lounge afterward for snacks and tea to refuel before jumping back into activities like birdwatching, kayaking, and lawn games.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of relaxation
Adjective
  • And please remember that a joyful classroom is not an unserious classroom.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Then Jesus appears and leads them through a joyful summer day of parables and prayer, in a New York City otherwise devoid of people.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of joyful
Verb
  • There’s also less of the eccentric charm that’s to be found in Wenders’ other docs, like the bits in Pina where the dancers cavort around in scruffy parts of Wuppertal where their home Dance Theater is based.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Euphoric players cavorting in disbelief, long-suffering fans crumpling to their knees in tears, commentators’ voices cracking at the drama of it all.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of cavort
Verb
  • Oman has long played a quiet role in US-Iran diplomacy, while Qatar has facilitated backchannel negotiations and prisoner exchanges.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Purdy played well enough that Mac Jones replaced him with about seven minutes remaining and the 49ers leading 35-6.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of play
Noun
  • The project is envisioned as a choose-your-own-adventure experience that places audiences inside Sunshine’s world, expanding the film’s questions around agency, complicity, and choice beyond the screen.
    — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Verbinski finally pulled himself out of career oblivion with the gonzo sci-fi action-adventure Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of adventure
Noun
  • The romp abruptly ended at the Boise airport when Love and Chan were removed from a white sports car by federal agents, according to a video obtained by TMZ.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Innovation defeated Freedom, 51-0 The Bulls improved to 5-0 with the romp past the Patriots (2-2).
    — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of romp

Browse Nearby Words

frocks
frolic
frolicked
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Frolic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frolic. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All