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
Our picks include leather options like Quince's simple Italian Leather Flip Flop, as well as jelly flip-flops in playful colors.
—
ABC News, 1 June 2026
For Jayma Cardoso, Founder and Creative Director of The Surf Lodge, the collaboration reflects the playful, communal energy the property has become known for since opening in 2008.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Taking a playful cooking trip through the alphabet with an A-to-Z guide to chili-making ingredients and techniques — from aromatics and avocado oil to the Mexican xoconostle prickly pear and zesty toppings like fresh cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and shredded Pepper Jack cheese.
—Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Outside, the signature SLS duck, an oversized rubber ducky-style sculpture sitting plumb in the pool—painted in colorful swirling patterns by Saudi contemporary artist Heba Ismail—is another sign of the playful spin on luxury to come.
—Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
ABC News, 1 June 2026
For Jayma Cardoso, Founder and Creative Director of The Surf Lodge, the collaboration reflects the playful, communal energy the property has become known for since opening in 2008.
—Amber Love Bond, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Taking a playful cooking trip through the alphabet with an A-to-Z guide to chili-making ingredients and techniques — from aromatics and avocado oil to the Mexican xoconostle prickly pear and zesty toppings like fresh cilantro, pickled jalapenos, and shredded Pepper Jack cheese.
—Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Outside, the signature SLS duck, an oversized rubber ducky-style sculpture sitting plumb in the pool—painted in colorful swirling patterns by Saudi contemporary artist Heba Ismail—is another sign of the playful spin on luxury to come.
—Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
The meta-ness of mentioning Sebold’s novel is amusing for those who recognize that connection.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
Fairies and gods and shipwrecks all conspire to put our players in the most exigent but also the most amusing circumstances.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
His mustache is graying, but his eyes remain mischievous.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
On May 27, Netflix announced that Willa Dunn will take on the role of Nellie Oleson — Laura Ingalls’ mischievous, pot-stirring classmate — in the forthcoming Little House on the Prairie revival.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Accommodations range from deluxe, superior, and premier to urban, and two penthouses, the latter of which are a statement stay that seem better suited for entertaining than sleeping.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Instead of a conversation on fouls and play stoppage, fans will see youth, ascendant stars and teams, and basketball that’s inherently entertaining to watch.—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Food and drink The lobby lounge always seems to have a coffee and cocktail menu at hand, and that’s why the area stays lively from morning to night.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Also enjoy tours of the Nectar Garden, lively puppet shows, special presentations about pollinators, family-friendly nature crafts and live music.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
1 June 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
-
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
-
Scott fares much, much better, grounding the movie’s goofier dialogue in broadly credible conviction.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 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
-
Platini had star quality, but Infantino was an energetic administrator with a noticeable gift for languages.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
We were joined by İsmet Öztanık, the energetic third-generation hotelier behind the Avantgarde Refined brand, which also includes a sister Bodrum property alongside the family’s larger Avantgarde Collection portfolio.—
Anya von Bremzen,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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