Search the Dictionary

Sportive; gamboling; frolicsome; indulging a sportive fancy; humorous; merry; as, a playful child; a playful writer. -- Play"ful*ly, adv. -- Play"ful*ness, n.

Playful raillery; banter. "He . . . indulged himself only in an elegant badinage." Warburton.

A romping, saucy girl. [Playful] Goldsmith.

To address playful good-natured ridicule to, -- the person addressed, or something pertaining to him, being the subject of the jesting; to rally; as, he bantered me about my credulity. Hag-ridden by my own fancy all night, and then bantered on my haggard looks the next day. W. Irving.

A wretch; -- sometimes used humorously or in playful disparagement. [Low]

A kiss; a rude or playful kiss; a smack. Shak.

To treat with cruel playfulness, as a cat treats a mouse; to abuse. [Obs.] Birch.

To trifle in love; to stimulate affection or interest; to play the coquette; to deal playfully instead of seriously; to play (with); as, we have coquetted with political crime.

Gay; playful; frolicsome. [Scot.] Jamieson.

Play; sport; pastime; diversion; playfulness. Milton.

To toss or throw about; to move playfully to and fro; as, to flirt a fan.

A frolic; a fit of wanton gayety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap. Johnson.

Gay; sportive; playful; frolicsome; merry. Shak. Gladness of the gamesome crowd. Byron. -- Game"some*ly, adv. -- Game"some*ness, n.

A playful or wanton girl; a giglot.

An evil or mischievous spirit; a playful or malicious elf; a frightful phantom; a gnome. To whom the goblin, full of wrath, replied. Milton.

tic turn, and tends to excite laughter or mirth by ludicrous images or representations; a playful fancy; facetiousness. For thy sake I admit That a Scot may have humor, I'd almost said wit. Goldsmith. A great deal of excellent humor was expended on the perplexities of mine host. W. Irving. Aqueous humor, Crystalline hu…

Full of humor; jocular; exciting laughter; playful; as, a humorous story or author; a humorous aspect.

Playful; frisky. [R.] She is never sad, and yet not jiggish. Habington.

Resembling a kitten; playful; as, a kittenish disposition. Richardson.

Used in play; sportive; playful. [Obs.] Bp. Sanderson.