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
Saturn in your companionable 7th house is encouraging Pluto in your playful 5th house, so the energy of these cosmic powerhouses should be a little less hard to handle and a lot more fun!
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2026
Add a little sparkle to your everyday style with playful, personalized jewelry designed to feel uniquely yours from Daniela Swaebe.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
From its booming beginning to its playful passages, the music offered vivid contrasts.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
From dresses to accessories, polka dots bring a playful kind of polish that always feels relevant.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2026
Add a little sparkle to your everyday style with playful, personalized jewelry designed to feel uniquely yours from Daniela Swaebe.
—Tory Johnson, ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
From its booming beginning to its playful passages, the music offered vivid contrasts.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
From dresses to accessories, polka dots bring a playful kind of polish that always feels relevant.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for playful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playful
Adjective
-
The surviving Cheetos, while amusing to viewers, stand as an odd visual amid an otherwise devastating event.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
To some on Capitol Hill, the freewheeling is more frustrating than amusing.—
Steven Sloan,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Ospreys – a mischievous bird of prey – have returned.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Labubu, the vinyl plush collectible with a snaggletoothed grin and knowingly mischievous eyes, has become a viral sensation and one of China’s fastest-rising exports.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Bruins have their signature comeback victory of this entertaining 2025-26 season.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Participants are able to create a schedule for themselves that supports more solo contemplative space or lively group experiences.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
South Elgin’s protest was just as lively.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Petrie, Doz and Morrow play multiple roles, including a gossipy Greek chorus and the band of merry fisherman (truly an astonishing array of Canadian accent work on display).—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
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These are the chapters that feature the merry trickster of the forest, Tom Bombadil, a classic fiddle-dee-dee-mischief type who waylays the hobbits at the onset of their quest.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the proposal was full of cartoonishly goofy faux spy talk.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Whether this turns out to be a goofy bit of fluff or an actual examination of power dynamics in relationships is yet to be determined (though the trailer suggests the former).—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Moustache joined my plump tortoiseshell Toffee, the progeny of frisky barn cats, an elderly rabbit rescued from neglect, and my best friend Bacon, a good dog adopted from Lifeline Puppy Rescue years before.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
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Founded in 2016 by Will Braden, CatVideoFest is a compilation of the latest and best cat videos, meaning the ones in which felines are adorable, frisky or getting into some kind of amusing trouble.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Those two youngsters happen to be a happily engaged, and happily naive, couple, and the series plays out exploring the dynamics between the two relationships, one young, loving and energetic, the other old, tired and toxic.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
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To support the flight, there has been a sharpening of space weather forecasting skills — an ability to better gauge the sun's activity and to help assure crew safety if a hazardous uptick in solar action rears its energetic head.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playful. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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