play
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To act in a way such that one has fun.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
playIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpleɪ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
transitive
To act as (the indicated role).
transitiveintransitive
To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).
Perform music on (a musical instrument)
Specifying a particular sporting role or position.
transitive
To compete against, in a game.
noun
uncountable
Similar activity in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills.
(uncountable, sports, with certain prepositions, also figurative) The sphere or circumstance in which a playing implement, such as a ball, is available to be played.
uncountable
The conduct, or course, of a game.
uncountable
An individual's performance in a sport or game.
countable
A short sequence of action within a game.
countable
A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.
Used this way, play is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use play
- “The kids were playing outside all day.”verb
- “This factor played only a minor part in his decision.”verb
- “The band played all night long.”verb
Share your sentence
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
A person who participates in or is skilled at some game.
The act of playing a musical instrument.
Engaged in.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Full of fun and high spirits.
Capable of or suitable for being played or played on.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A piece of land prepared for playing a game.
One of a pack of cards that are used to play card games.
The circumstances under which competition occurs.
The time during which play proceeds.
Subject to a playful hoax or joke.
Deceive somebody.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
Plaything consisting of a small model of a house that children can play inside of.
Someone who writes plays.
A companion at play.
Time for play or diversion.
A recreation room for noisy activities (parties or children's play etc).
A notebook containing descriptions and diagrams of the plays that a team has practiced (especially an American football team).
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “play” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.