as in amusing
given to good-natured joking or teasing
the little girl was lighthearted and playful
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of playful
The Euphoria actress recently made a playful nod to Holland while popping into a Northern California bookstore.
—
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Pitch a playful idea for a team showcase or start a tiny art challenge at home, because taking initiative comes naturally and feels fun.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Former keepers who visited on May 13 said the 2-year-old has bonded with surrogate mother Fredrika and developed a playful, mischievous personality.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026
Travis came up with the playful name, which was inspired by the city's cold winters.
—Jori Parys, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Pitch a playful idea for a team showcase or start a tiny art challenge at home, because taking initiative comes naturally and feels fun.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 June 2026
Former keepers who visited on May 13 said the 2-year-old has bonded with surrogate mother Fredrika and developed a playful, mischievous personality.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 June 2026
Travis came up with the playful name, which was inspired by the city's cold winters.
—Jori Parys, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
It’s been nearly two months since Morgan Neville’s amusing and thoroughly superficial Lorne, in which the Oscar-winning documentarian tried and failed to get the Saturday Night Live creator to let down his guard.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
But perhaps the most amusing depiction was how Taylor contrasted the stay-at-home moms (and dads) with Marissa and Jenny, with most of the sartorial showdowns taking place during school pickups and dropoffs.—
Clarissa Cruz,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Roy interjected with the mischievous smirk typical of a younger brother trying to ruffle some feathers.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
The new set will let builders assemble the mischievous supernatural messenger and his watchful bird companion.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Watching teams and players decide when to challenge and when not to has been fun, and keeping track of who’s good at it has been entertaining, as well.—
Jim Bowden,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Scenes of entertaining brutality and entertaining inspiration are placed directly next to scenes with characters and situations that dissipate the pleasure of what came before.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
The ranch saloon sits across from the open yard—and around the corner and up a hill of long yellow grass is the outdoor rodeo arena, home to lively summer rodeos every week in the summer season.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Baltimore is best known for its maritime history and lively harbor, with plenty to see and do, from the National Aquarium to the cobblestone streets and waterfront views of Fell's Point.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Reddit threads and gossip pages are ablaze with speculation about who will get the invite, but Swift seems to be opting for a more-the-merrier approach.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
4 June 2026
-
The picture’s eclectic cast, which included Anouk Aimée, Greta Scacchi and Maximilian Schell (with cameos by Faye Dunaway, Holly Hunter and Jeff Goldblum), swirled its merry way across the grand event in search of romance, fame and the ever-elusive movie deal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her content is uniquely her — slightly more goofy than her older sister's, but equally as captivating and with confidence building at the forefront.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Finally, a Game of Thrones spin-off for those with a goofier side to them.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The Chicago White Sox have smartly brought together a collection of international talents, veteran reclamation projects and frisky young prospects this season.—
Andy Behrens,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
-
Nilsson’s depiction of bodies past their prime conjures not the pitiless naturalism of Joan Semmel or Alice Neel, but something friskier, more delighted.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The outfield grass was the place to be, not only for those watching the game but also for the host of energetic kids playing soccer in center and left fields.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
14 June 2026
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To get there, the capsule will have to endure a fiery atmospheric reentry at a velocity of 12 km per second—a faster, more energetic plunge than those experienced by China’s previous lunar sample-return missions.—
Andrew Jones,
Scientific American,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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