Dictionary

playful en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈpleɪfl̩/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English pleiful, equivalent to play + -ful.

Meanings

1. Enjoying play; sportive; prone to playing frequently, in the manner of a child or young pet (viz. puppy or kitten).
   • Actually, we are pretty playful in our romantic life.
2. Funny; humorous; jesty; frolicsome; frisky.
   • Why this already very fast train should be speeded up still further, when none of the other more easily timed S.R. West of England trains has a single minute pared from its schedule, is unexplained - unless this is a playful dig at the Western Region, most of whose expresses, by reason of additional stops, will be decelerated from the same date. 1961 October, “The winter timetables of British Railways: Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 593:
   • A party hat is a playful conical hat people wear at parties.
   • John is a playful fellow.
3. Fun; recreational; unserious.
   • A brainteaser is a playful puzzle posed as a test of intelligence.
4. Experimental.
   • He was a rather playful artist.

Forms

Deriveds

playfulness · nonplayful · unplayful · playfully · playful as a kitten · overplayful

Translations (86)

cs žertovný (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · sh ра̏зигра̄н (liking or prone to play) · lv jautrs (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · pt divertido (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · izh naljakas (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · eo petolema (liking or prone to play) · gl xoguetón (liking or prone to play) · cy chwaraegar (liking or prone to play) · ru игри́вый (liking or prone to play) · mk ра́зигран (liking or prone to play) · ar دَاعِب (liking or prone to play) · gd cluicheach (liking or prone to play) · cy chwareus (fun, recreational, not serious) · pt lúdico (fun, recreational, not serious) · cy chwareus (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · lv jautrs (liking or prone to play) · it giocherellone (liking or prone to play) · sv lekfull (liking or prone to play) · yi שפּילעוודיק (liking or prone to play) · gl rebuldeiro (liking or prone to play) · izh mutkikas (liking or prone to play) · el παιχνιδιάρης (liking or prone to play) · sh zàigrān (liking or prone to play) · bg шеговит (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · az zarafatcıl (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · it giocondo (liking or prone to play) · cs laškovný (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · alt ойынзак (liking or prone to play) · it divertente (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · es juguetón (liking or prone to play) · cs hravý (liking or prone to play) · la lascīvus (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · he משעשע (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · fi hauska (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · he אוהב משחקים (liking or prone to play) · cy chwareus (liking or prone to play) · lv draisks (liking or prone to play) · crh oynaq (liking or prone to play) · cy digrif (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · lv draisks (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · fi viihdyttävä (fun, recreational, not serious) · ca enjogassat (liking or prone to play) · ru шутли́вый (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · la lūdibundus (liking or prone to play) · eo ŝercema (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · fr enjoué (liking or prone to play) · tpw ory (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · cs žertovný (fun, recreational, not serious) · es divertido (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · gl brincador (liking or prone to play) · ar لَعُوب (liking or prone to play) · bg закачлив (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · cy cellweirus (fun, recreational, not serious) · mk па́лав (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · fr joueur (liking or prone to play) · fi hauska (fun, recreational, not serious) · it ludico (fun, recreational, not serious) · tr oyuncu (liking or prone to play) · sh rȁzigrān (liking or prone to play) · sh rȁzigrān (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · sh ра̏зигра̄н (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · pt brincalhão (liking or prone to play) · he עליז (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · mk ше́говит (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · de verspielt (liking or prone to play) · fi leikkisä (liking or prone to play) · mk и́грив (liking or prone to play) · cs rozpustilý (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · mi pukutākaro (liking or prone to play) · tr oyunbaz (liking or prone to play) · izh šuutkikas (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · ga cleasach (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · mi pūtakaro (liking or prone to play) · ca juganer (liking or prone to play) · sh за̀игра̄н (liking or prone to play) · cs humorný (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · tpw oryb (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · pl żartobliwy (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · grc παιγνιώδης (liking or prone to play) · it buffo (funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome) · he משתעשע (liking or prone to play) · fr folâtre (liking or prone to play) · ja 遊戯的 (liking or prone to play) · bg игрив (liking or prone to play) · he משתובב (liking or prone to play) · cy digrif (fun, recreational, not serious)