ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Play

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Part of speech verb

Quick meaning: Play is a verb meaning (intransitive) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

Meaning

(intransitive) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

More Meanings

  1. (intransitive, especially with 'with'; see also play with) To toy or trifle; to act with levity or thoughtlessness; to be careless.
  2. (transitive, intransitive) To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
  3. (intransitive, copulative) To act or behave in a stated way.
  4. (transitive) To act as (the indicated role).
  5. (transitive, intransitive) To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.
  6. (transitive, intransitive) To move briskly, sweepingly, back and forth, in a directed manner, etc.
  7. (intransitive) To contend or fight using weapons, both as practice or in real life-or-death combats; to engage in martial games; to joust; to fence

Example Sentences

Who's playing now?
He plays on three teams.
Don't play with your food!
The children played in the park.

Word Forms

Synonyms for play

Depending on context, synonyms include defraud, approach, cohabit, common, company, copulate.

Antonyms for play

Common opposites include tautness, tightness.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include frolic, fun, gambol, caper, romp, toy.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.