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
-
This is amusing but understandable; in an era where commodity fetishism has turned analog, low-budget cinema into something aspirational, Jenkin has made no compromises for accessibility.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
17 June 2026
-
Regal bontebok were replaced by stout warthogs, whose amusing visages quickly filled my camera roll.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
14 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
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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
-
Our leads will be abandoning the mean streets of New York City for merry old London.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
Starr and his band of merry men would deliver a 100-minute-plus show that was filled with 22 great tunes that most everyone in the house knew by heart.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Alongside Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and his best friend, Shaggy Rogers, Scooby spent decades unmasking supposedly supernatural villains while winning over generations of fans with his goofy charm, insatiable appetite and signature catchphrases.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
All well and good—even if the log-line here may remind some of you of this goofy scene from the Sex and the City movie.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
In one scene, Little Death lays outrageously bloody waste to the frisky incoming counselors of Camp Miasma (played by Zach Cherry, Quintessa Swindell, and Eva Victor, among others) in a long take set to a needle drop that shouldn’t be spoiled but that adds up to something worthy of blissing out to.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Actually, these are anything but those same White Sox that wallowed in all that misery the last three years — but rather a team of young, energetic grinders, the product of a near-total roster overhaul by general manager Chris Getz.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
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However, the problem is that almost all nuclear energy transitions are far too energetic to be controlled with lasers.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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