as in amusing
given to good-natured joking or teasing
the little girl was lighthearted and playful
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of playful
In both the Knife and solo, the Swedish producer has honed a uniquely playful style.
—
Will Lynch, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Something about a summer ceremony invites fun into a potentially formal dress code—your attire should be polished, yes, but can lean playful and bright.
—Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 10 May 2026
The Moon in Aquarius moves through your 5th House and trines Venus in Gemini, making creativity and playful experimentation especially productive.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Experimental, playful and dazzling, the EGOT winner’s best fashion moments have featured at awards shows, red carpets and more.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Will Lynch, Pitchfork, 11 May 2026
Something about a summer ceremony invites fun into a potentially formal dress code—your attire should be polished, yes, but can lean playful and bright.
—Sarah Zendejas, Vogue, 10 May 2026
The Moon in Aquarius moves through your 5th House and trines Venus in Gemini, making creativity and playful experimentation especially productive.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026
Experimental, playful and dazzling, the EGOT winner’s best fashion moments have featured at awards shows, red carpets and more.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
And the observations, questions, and assertions in our articles are varying degrees of surprising, insightful, and amusing.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
-
Thankfully, Babitz did exactly that — no rambling thoughts, petty accusations or amusing missives left unsaid.—
Michael Schaub,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Elevated rooms—some villas sit on stilts above the jungle floor, giving full treehouse vibes—offer total immersion within the thick, humid jungle, underscored by wild birds, hypnotic cicadas, and the swing of mischievous monkeys.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
-
Turner often carried a mischievous twinkle in his eye.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The final 1-1 scoreline does little to show how entertaining the fixture was, with Boston securing a draw despite the NWSL champions having far more chances on goal.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
But even the Chang'an Avenue View rooms are entertaining.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Frying is an art, perhaps plied nowhere with such efficiency and aplomb as at this lively lunch counter, where the very air seems to crackle and the scent of pork incites the blood.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Lochte, 41, was one of the faces of swimming during the heights of his career, with major sponsorships, endorsements and appearances on TV shows displaying his lively personality.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
But in the cycling ecosystem, the Rockets are still minnows, a bunch of merry men with a camera — up against teams funded by international business conglomerates and nation states.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the goofier parts of Over Your Dead Body offer some hope for the future.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a steadiness to Tung/Wonder Woman that stands out for its quiet authority in a frequently goofy landscape peppered with poisonous robes and finger-eating minions.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Suppler than Tom Paxton’s original; not as frisky as Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton’s cover.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
-
Then the Timberwolves got frisky.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Hsu’s character Kristen is an energetic surfer, who finds joy and freedom in the ocean.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
The central region of Messier 77 is dominated by an extremely compact and energetic source that outshines the rest of the galaxy combined, even challenging the sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope itself.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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