Playful Meaning
/ˈpleɪfl̩/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjliking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive.
adjEnjoying play; sportive; prone to playing frequently, in the manner of a child or young pet (viz. puppy or kitten).
Sentence Examples
The dolphin is an intelligent and playful creature.
She laughed and gave me a playful shove.
The dog gave me a playful bite.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The puppy's ____ behaviour made the children laugh as it chased its tail.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The puppy was energetic and ____, chasing its tail and jumping on everyone it met.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English pleiful, equivalent to play + -ful.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The puppy's ____ behaviour made the children laugh as it chased its tail.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The puppy was energetic and ____, chasing its tail and jumping on everyone it met.