LARKING Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

larking

verb

present participle of lark

as in dancing

to play and run about happily we would rather lark about in the summer than get part-time jobs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 larking The Reting Rinpoche dispatched a search team of high lamas, who soon heard about a precocious 2-year-old who enjoyed larking inside chicken coops but also frequently spoke yearningly about making a long journey to Lhasa. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for larking

Verb

Kris Jenner Kim Kardashian Kylie Jenner Kylie reshared a tribute post from a fan account that posted a video of little Kylie dancing with her grandmother.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 July 2026
And if that wasn’t enough, a silver dancing Frozen Charlatan usually interrupts the set until White kicks him off, giving the audience a moment of light comedy.

— Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026

Definition of dancing

Verb

Biking Barefoot There’s hardly anything more quintessentially Southern than hopping on a bike barefoot—and probably in a wet swimsuit as well—in the summertime to pedal down the street to a friend's house, neighborhood pool, or the shoreline.

— Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
These stands are also designed and engineered in the US, so hopping on this deal feels appropriate for this upcoming Independence Day weekend.

— George Yang, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026

Definition of hopping

Verb

McGinley photographed models cavorting naked (always naked) through sand dunes in the Mojave Desert and pine forests in Vermont, in a frigid ice cave in upstate New York and perched above a rushing waterfall in Tennessee.

— Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 4 July 2026
Sea-facing rooms have views of passing ships, cavorting dolphins and the magnificent sunsets.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026

Definition of cavorting

Verb

Jordan Henderson hurt his left forearm leaping over field-level billboards to celebrate the win over Mexico and is out the rest of the World Cup after undergoing surgery.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026
However, Tolbert raced over and made a leaping catch to negate extra bases.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026

Definition of leaping

Verb

The Knicks had piled up massive scoring margins while romping through the Eastern Conference playoffs, then were just good enough in the two games in San Antonio.

— Brian Mahoney, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
The outcome was one few anticipated, with Gray Davis romping to victory in the Democratic primary, then winning the governorship in a landslide.

— Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026

Definition of romping

Verb

Nothing etches itself in your heart quite like the memory of watching a pack of energetic African wild dogs frolicking, a lioness and her cubs dozing on the Kalahari with your own kids tucked in close.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 June 2026
However, the Scarlet Darkness Floral Smocked Dress is another stunning selection that’s under $35 now, and it’s practically made to be worn while frolicking around a European vineyard.

— Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026

Definition of frolicking

Verb

The foundation's dogs typically eat about 10 metric tons (22,046 pounds) of dry food each year and spend their summers gamboling in the remnants of snow in the mountains before heading 40 kilometers (25 miles) down winding roads back to the kennel in Barryland.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 June 2026
Okay, so the cow immediately finds its baby, and then there is a BABY COW gamboling in a field.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of gamboling

Verb

Should the Senate follow suit, there goes my excuse for skipping church one Sunday each spring.

— Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 16 July 2026
Had Marsh taken that step — known in legal parlance as striking Basabe’s affirmative defenses — the jury would have only had to determine monetary damages against Basabe on each count, skipping the step of deciding whether to hold Basabe liable.

— Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Definition of skipping

Browse Nearby Words

larkiness

larking

larks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Larking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/larking. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of larking

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

obdurate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17

Popular

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes