playful

English

Alternative forms

• playfull (archaic)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpleɪfəl/, SAMPA: /"pleIf@l/
• Rhymes: -eɪfəl, -eɪfʊl

Adjective

playful (comparative playfuller or more playful, superlative playfullest or most playful)

1. liking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive.

   Actually, we are pretty playful in our romantic life.

2. funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome.

   John is a playful fellow.

   A party hat is a playful conical hat people wear at parties.

3. fun, recreational, not serious.

   A brainteaser is a playful puzzle posed as a test of intelligence.

4. experimental.

   He was a rather playful artist.

Derived terms

• playfully
• playfulness

Translations

liking or prone to play

Croatian: zaigran (hr) m. Czech: hravý (cs) Esperanto: petolema (eo) Finnish: leikkisä (fi) French: folâtre (fr) m., enjoué (fr) m., joueur (fr) m.

Hebrew: אוהב משחקים (he) (ohev misḥakim) m., משתעשע (he) m. Template:mishta'shea, משתובב (he) (mishtovev) m. Macedonian: игрив (mk) (ígriv) m., разигран (mk) (rázigran) m. Russian: игривый (ru) (igrívyj) Spanish: juguetón (es) m. Turkish: oyuncu (tr), oyunbaz (tr)

funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome

Hebrew: עליז (he) (a'liz) m., משעשע (he) (mesha'shea) m. Macedonian: шеговит (mk) (šégovit) m., палав (mk) (pálav) m. Polish: żartobliwy (pl) m.

Russian: шутливый (ru) (šutlívyj) Spanish: divertido (es) m.

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Translations to be checked

Dutch: speels German: verspielt Greek: παιχνιδιάρης [pe̞xniˈðʝaris] m., χωρατατζής [xo̞ˌrataˈʣis] m., φιλοπαίγμων [filo̞ˈpe̞ɣmo̞n] m., παιγνιώδης [pe̞ɣniˈo̞ðis] m., παιχνιδιάρικος [pe̞xniˈðʝariˌko̞s] m., χωρατατζίδικος [xo̞rataˈʣiðiˌko̞s] m.

Italian: scherzoso, allegro Norwegian: leken Russian: игривый (igrívyj)