PLAYFUL Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

playful

adjective

ˈplā-fəl

Definition of playful

as in amusing

given to good-natured joking or teasing the little girl was lighthearted and playful

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 playful Wolf may be less playful on this album, but her songs aren’t any less exciting. — Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026 Throughout the panel, the cast was playful and self-aware about the show’s gonzo tendencies, especially 13 seasons in. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 The real gem of Forth is Il Premio, a glam Italian steakhouse that would make any mob wife feel right at home with its moody lighting, mahogany tones, black subway tile, and a playful horse motif. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026 Rituals is already active in the youth mental health space as cofounder of Super Chill, a program that uses playful mind and body exercises to help children recognize their emotions and develop mental resilience. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for playful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful

Adjective

Soon, though, Sutskever also catches the eye of Altman and his partner Elon Musk (an amusing Ike Barinholtz, nailing him).

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
There's a tricky tonal balance in treating the lawyers' gasp-inducing ruthlessness as entertaining and even amusing while also allowing its consequences to be clear.

— Linda Holmes, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of amusing

Adjective

Douglas, 82, has just published an incredibly dishy, wildly entertaining, at times both hilarious and painful new memoir, One Helluva Ride.

— Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
The standout among the entertaining spaces is the baby-blue kitchen, which extends from the rear of the home into a rounded turret overlooking a ravine.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of entertaining

Adjective

Echenoz sketches a lively and personal view of the bonds and minor psychoses that can occur when two people work in tandem, and sometimes in conflict.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
This three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house sat just off lively Main Street in Beacon, a town of about 15,000 people on the Hudson River.

— Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

The friendly staff, who wear black uniforms with lettering that identifies their duties add to the hotel’s merry atmosphere.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
This is a place where adults make the pilgrimage to the legendary Pinto Ron and Pizza Pete tailgate spot in the Hammer Lot where Pinto Ron's team of merry pranksters pour shots of liquor into a bowling ball finger hole.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of merry

Adjective

The opening chase scene is gorgeously animated, the kind of sequence that makes Common Side Effects distinct visual style that is at once both goofy and realistic so mesmerizing to watch.

— Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
That show tackled Bitcoin, viral videos, NSA spying, and the goofy-ass names of 2010s tech startups without being hacky or hammy.

— Meredith Haggerty, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of goofy

Adjective

Autonomous vehicle designers have to worry about riders getting frisky in public.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
Laced with Horgan’s signature combination of unsparing honesty and sparkling wit, Youth is a fleet and frisky reminder that growing into yourself is a lifelong endeavor.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of frisky

Adjective

Cheers, jeers, and energetic call-and-response exchanges echoed through the hall as the audience, dressed in bright green, pink, and red, some wearing candidate T-shirts, listened.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
Swelling the two-person ranks of Price, Siffre and Associates is Michael’s energetic former assistant, Christy Palladino (Ella Stiller), fired for talking to him on the phone.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of energetic

Browse Nearby Words

playfellows

playful

playfully

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“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of playful

adjective

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