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
Now, the playful moment will continue on the NBA Finals court courtesy of Anunoby’s new exclusives.
—
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 June 2026
While French manicures and chrome finishes continue to dominate, there's always room for something a little more playful.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 6 June 2026
The way Daniel and Jackie get to know each other feels more authentic than genuine, navigating playful bonding moments as well as their own personal hang-ups.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Leave it to Mars in Gemini to charge up your love life with playful banter, curious encounters and intellectual chemistry.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 June 2026
While French manicures and chrome finishes continue to dominate, there's always room for something a little more playful.
—Amanda Le, InStyle, 6 June 2026
The way Daniel and Jackie get to know each other feels more authentic than genuine, navigating playful bonding moments as well as their own personal hang-ups.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Leave it to Mars in Gemini to charge up your love life with playful banter, curious encounters and intellectual chemistry.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
It’s been nearly two months since Morgan Neville’s amusing and thoroughly superficial Lorne, in which the Oscar-winning documentarian tried and failed to get the Saturday Night Live creator to let down his guard.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 June 2026
-
But perhaps the most amusing depiction was how Taylor contrasted the stay-at-home moms (and dads) with Marissa and Jenny, with most of the sartorial showdowns taking place during school pickups and dropoffs.—
Clarissa Cruz,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
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,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
-
His mustache is graying, but his eyes remain mischievous.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Dining rooms Dining rooms are often where household dinners or entertaining happens, so spruce up the space for the new season.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
This is great news for fans of the entertaining series.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Fairmont draws a diverse crowd—from business travelers to couples celebrating anniversaries, to casual visitors—creating a lively but laid-back atmosphere.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
-
The blueberry layer brings deep sweetness and vibrant color, while Meyer lemon adds a floral brightness that keeps the parfaits tasting fresh and lively.—
Laura Mclively,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Margaret, like Daniel, ends up on the lam, and Spielberg whisks the audience along for these two merry chases.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
Reddit threads and gossip pages are ablaze with speculation about who will get the invite, but Swift seems to be opting for a more-the-merrier approach.—
Anna Grace Lee,
Vogue,
4 June 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
-
Gamma rays are the most energetic form of light, and they are produced by some of the universe’s most extreme phenomena.—
Christopher Karwin,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The festive, charming and energetic North American tour of the Broadway production is packed with as much nostalgia as new characters that are doppelgangers for the original series’ heroes and villains, and who often challenge our assumptions about their infamous families.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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