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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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 playful Twenty-five years on, Edebiri’s own swan style is sleek and elegant, but still playful. — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The playful spirit of the brand will be present with Betsey Johnson’s iconic Duck Pond. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Its Jibbitz charms, which snap directly into ventilation holes on its shoes, let wearers mix and match playful designs to effortlessly showcase their personal style. — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 For example, gift the new compact 1-Quart MacKenzie Childs checkered tea kettle, a functional option for those with a playful kitchen aesthetic. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for playful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful

Adjective

People love spy stories, but there is nothing amusing, or romantic, about this one.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
An outgoing transfer ban as well as a ban on signing new players would be quite amusing (although utterly unenforceable).

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of amusing

Adjective

The company said the seasonal collection is intended for holiday entertaining, gifting and everyday snacking.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
At the highest tier, palaces and soaring residences allow even more space, privacy, and room for entertaining, creating a distinctly residential feel.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of entertaining

Adjective

Einbinder and the staff writer Rachel Syme sit down for what’s sure to be a lively chat.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Microsoft and Nvidia held a launch party for the first wave of RTX Spark laptops last week in San Francisco, where a new wave of AI PCs took center stage amid a packed crowd and a lively hands-on area.

— Tom Warren, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of goofy

Adjective

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 4-0 by holding off a frisky Las Vegas Raiders team, which entered their divisional matchup undefeated themselves.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
As the band turns one of Wonder’s ever-climbing chord progressions into a frisky funk jam, his vocals cut loose more with every chorus.

— Jon Pareles, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of frisky

Adjective

The poetry world in the city is multifarious and energetic, with waves of practitioners reading, listening to, and publishing one another.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Stones, Soddu explains, have a very long history of being associated with energetic, medicinal, protective, and symbolic properties.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 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 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of playful

adjective

Example Sentences

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