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 post included a playful group shot featuring Alba posing alongside Ramirez and Baby2Baby co-CEO Kelly Sawyer Patricof.
—
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
While the colder months were defined by dark, moody shades, this season’s trends are much lighter and more playful.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
Gary and Ennis’s playful, hypothetical conversation topic starts to become very real.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
While the colder months were defined by dark, moody shades, this season’s trends are much lighter and more playful.
—Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026
Gary and Ennis’s playful, hypothetical conversation topic starts to become very real.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
Honey is ready to bring love, purrs and playful cuddles to her forever home.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
In an amusing showcase of her Oscar-winning skills on the big screen, Goldberg even once stood up from — and then fell down — on the table during a June 2025 discussion about Sean Combs.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Idiosyncratic, amusing, and somehow emotional, Haddon’s own cover is perfect for his book.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Your 5th House of Discovery brightens as mischievous Mercury conjoins the life-giving Sun.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But of course, the mischievous Cat in the Hat can only save the day in typical Seussian fashion.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The yacht also has a flowing open-plan layout, with the aft doors opening to turn the separate salon and cockpit into one big indoor-outdoor entertaining area.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For those who teach their children about the Bible, this movie is a great way to introduce kids and tweens to the entertaining story of redemption and purpose.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Locals consistently rave about FIG and Leon’s Oyster Shop, though wandering around aimlessly—especially on the city’s lively King Street—is part of the fun, too.—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Anecdotally, schools with bell-to-bell bans report livelier lunchtime conversations, and some research suggests that time and distance are critical for counteracting phones’ addictive tendencies.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many movies tried to recreate its magic mixture, including some of its own sequels, but few achieved the merry concoction of frights, gore, and giggles that Craven handled so masterfully.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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The atmosphere was noisy in a good way, with merry patrons having a good time.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The indelible action-adventure of a pair of kids (Daryl Sabara and Alexa PenaVega) who find out their parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are spies and must go rescue them is so goofy and entertaining.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
-
But this movie gets to show so many different types of personalities and characters and boldness and fearlessness, and these su- per-hot, badass women who are also goofy, silly and cute.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dita Von Teese’s frisky show at Voltaire pays tribute to the classic showgirls (and guys) of Vegas.—
Roger Kisby,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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Each of the five seeded teams in the class could prove frisky come semifinal time.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Buffey is described as an energetic and dedicated special education teacher who brings enthusiasm and creativity to every lesson.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The deployment of Lewis O’Brien and Ollie Rathbone, playing as an energetic pair of No 10s behind the equally-mobile Sam Smith up front suited this intent wonderfully.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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