| play | | |
| n. (communication) | 1. drama, dramatic play, play | a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage.; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway" |
| ~ drama | the literary genre of works intended for the theater. |
| ~ stage direction | an instruction written as part of the script of a play. |
| ~ dramatic composition, dramatic work | a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.. |
| ~ grand guignol | a play of a macabre or horrific nature. |
| ~ theater of the absurd | plays stressing the irrational or illogical aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointless.; "Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco have written plays for the theater of the absurd" |
| ~ playlet | a short play. |
| ~ act | a subdivision of a play or opera or ballet. |
| ~ miracle play | a medieval play representing episodes from the life of a saint or martyr. |
| ~ morality play | an allegorical play popular in the 15th and 16th centuries; characters personified virtues and vices. |
| ~ mystery play | a medieval play representing episodes from the life of Christ. |
| ~ passion play | a play representing the Passion of Christ. |
| ~ satyr play | an ancient Greek burlesque with a chorus of satyrs. |
| n. (communication) | 2. play | a theatrical performance of a drama.; "the play lasted two hours" |
| ~ show | a social event involving a public performance or entertainment.; "they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway" |
| ~ musical, musical comedy, musical theater | a play or film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with singing and dancing. |
| ~ curtain raiser | a short play presented before the main play. |
| n. (act) | 3. play | a preset plan of action in team sports.; "the coach drew up the plays for her team" |
| ~ knock on | (rugby) knocking the ball forward while trying to catch it (a foul). |
| ~ power play | (ice hockey) a play in which one team has a numerical advantage over the other as a result of penalties.; "the team was unable to capitalize on the power play" |
| ~ football play | (American football) a play by the offensive team. |
| ~ razmataz, razzle, razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz | any exciting and complex play intended to confuse (dazzle) the opponent. |
| ~ basketball play | a play executed by a basketball team. |
| ~ plan of action | a plan for actively doing something. |
| n. (act) | 4. maneuver, manoeuvre, play | a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill.; "he made a great maneuver"; "the runner was out on a play by the shortstop" |
| ~ movement, move, motion | the act of changing location from one place to another.; "police controlled the motion of the crowd"; "the movement of people from the farms to the cities"; "his move put him directly in my path" |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ takeaway | the act of taking the ball or puck away from the team on the offense (as by the interception of a pass). |
| ~ figure | a predetermined set of movements in dancing or skating.; "she made the best score on compulsory figures" |
| ~ completion, pass completion | (American football) a successful forward pass in football. |
| ~ ball hawking | a skillful maneuver in catching balls or in stealing the ball from the opposing team. |
| ~ assist | (sports) the act of enabling another player to make a good play. |
| ~ icing the puck, icing | (ice hockey) the act of shooting the puck from within your own defensive area the length of the rink beyond the opponent's goal. |
| ~ jugglery | the performance of a juggler. |
| ~ obstruction | getting in someone's way. |
| ~ baseball play | (baseball) a play executed by a baseball team. |
| ~ footwork | the manner of using the feet. |
| ~ stroke, shot | (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand.; "it took two strokes to get out of the bunker"; "a good shot requires good balance and tempo"; "he left me an almost impossible shot" |
| ~ blitz, linebacker blitzing, safety blitz | (American football) defensive players try to break through the offensive line. |
| ~ trap play, mousetrap | (American football) a play in which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and then blocked off as the runner goes through the place the lineman vacated. |
| n. (state) | 5. play | a state in which action is feasible.; "the ball was still in play"; "insiders said the company's stock was in play" |
| ~ activeness, action, activity | the state of being active.; "his sphere of activity"; "he is out of action" |
| n. (act) | 6. play | utilization or exercise.; "the play of the imagination" |
| ~ usage, use, utilisation, utilization, exercise, employment | the act of using.; "he warned against the use of narcotic drugs"; "skilled in the utilization of computers" |
| n. (act) | 7. bid, play | an attempt to get something.; "they made a futile play for power"; "he made a bid to gain attention" |
| ~ attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour | earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something.; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" |
| n. (act) | 8. child's play, play | activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules.; "Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ house | play in which children take the roles of father or mother or children and pretend to interact like adults.; "the children were playing house" |
| ~ doctor | children take the roles of physician or patient or nurse and pretend they are at the physician's office.; "the children explored each other's bodies by playing the game of doctor" |
| ~ fireman | play in which children pretend to put out a fire. |
| n. (time) | 9. period of play, play, playing period | (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds.; "rain stopped play in the 4th inning" |
| ~ quantity, measure, amount | how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify. |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ athletic game | a game involving athletic activity. |
| ~ golf hole, hole | one playing period (from tee to green) on a golf course.; "he played 18 holes" |
| ~ chukka, chukker | (polo) one of six divisions into which a polo match is divided. |
| ~ inning, frame | (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat. |
| ~ set | a unit of play in tennis or squash.; "they played two sets of tennis after dinner" |
| ~ bout, round, turn | (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive. |
| ~ first period | the first division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ second period | the second division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ final period | the final division into which the play of a game is divided. |
| ~ half | one of two divisions into which some games or performances are divided: the two divisions are separated by an interval. |
| ~ period | (ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is divided in hockey games. |
| ~ quarter | (football, professional basketball) one of four divisions into which some games are divided.; "both teams scored in the first quarter" |
| ~ over | (cricket) the division of play during which six balls are bowled at the batsman by one player from the other team from the same end of the pitch. |
| n. (state) | 10. free rein, play | the removal of constraints.; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent" |
| ~ freedom | the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints. |
| n. (event) | 11. play, shimmer | a weak and tremulous light.; "the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers"; "the play of light on the water" |
| ~ alteration, change, modification | an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another.; "the change was intended to increase sales"; "this storm is certainly a change for the worse"; "the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago" |
| n. (communication) | 12. fun, play, sport | verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously).; "he became a figure of fun"; "he said it in sport" |
| ~ humor, wit, witticism, wittiness, humour | a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter. |
| ~ jocosity, jocularity | fun characterized by humor. |
| ~ waggery, waggishness | waggish behavior. |
| ~ drollery, funniness, clowning, comedy | a comic incident or series of incidents. |
| ~ paronomasia, pun, punning, wordplay | a humorous play on words.; "I do it for the pun of it"; "his constant punning irritated her" |
| n. (attribute) | 13. looseness, play | movement or space for movement.; "there was too much play in the steering wheel" |
| ~ movability, movableness | the quality of being movable; capable of being moved or rearranged. |
| ~ wiggliness | a jerky back and forth kind of mobility.; "he walked with the wiggliness of a child on high heels" |
| ~ slackness, slack | the quality of being loose (not taut).; "he hadn't counted on the slackness of the rope" |
| n. (act) | 14. caper, frolic, gambol, play, romp | gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement.; "it was all done in play"; "their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ coquetry, flirtation, flirting, toying, dalliance, flirt | playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest. |
| ~ foolery, tomfoolery, lunacy, craziness, folly, indulgence | foolish or senseless behavior. |
| ~ game | frivolous or trifling behavior.; "for actors, memorizing lines is no game"; "for him, life is all fun and games" |
| ~ horseplay | rowdy or boisterous play. |
| ~ teasing | playful vexation.; "the parody was just a form of teasing" |
| ~ word play | playing on words or speech sounds. |
| n. (act) | 15. play, turn | (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession.; "it is my turn"; "it is still my play" |
| ~ move | (game) a player's turn to take some action permitted by the rules of the game. |
| ~ starting, start | a turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning).; "he got his start because one of the regular pitchers was in the hospital"; "his starting meant that the coach thought he was one of their best linemen" |
| ~ activity | any specific behavior.; "they avoided all recreational activity" |
| ~ game | a contest with rules to determine a winner.; "you need four people to play this game" |
| ~ innings | the batting turn of a cricket player or team. |
| ~ attack | an offensive move in a sport or game.; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning" |
| ~ down | (American football) a complete play to advance the football.; "you have four downs to gain ten yards" |
| ~ at-bat, bat | (baseball) a turn trying to get a hit.; "he was at bat when it happened"; "he got four hits in four at-bats" |
| ~ lead | the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge.; "the lead was in the dummy" |
| ~ trumping, ruff | (card games) the act of taking a trick with a trump when unable to follow suit. |
| ~ trick | (card games) in a single round, the sequence of cards played by all the players; the high card is the winner. |
| n. (act) | 16. gambling, gaming, play | the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize).; "his gambling cost him a fortune"; "there was heavy play at the blackjack table" |
| ~ diversion, recreation | an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates.; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation" |
| ~ sporting life | active interest in gambling on sports events. |
| ~ wager, bet | the act of gambling.; "he did it on a bet" |
| ~ gambling game, game of chance | a game that involves gambling. |
| ~ vice | a specific form of evildoing.; "vice offends the moral standards of the community" |
| ~ throw | casting an object in order to determine an outcome randomly.; "he risked his fortune on a throw of the dice" |
| n. (act) | 17. play, swordplay | the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully. |
| ~ action | something done (usually as opposed to something said).; "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" |
| ~ fencing | the art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules). |
| v. (competition) | 18. play | participate in games or sport.; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" |
| ~ compete, vie, contend | compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. |
| ~ line up | take one's position before a kick-off. |
| ~ curl | play the Scottish game of curling. |
| ~ snooker | leave one's opponent unable to take a direct shot. |
| ~ revoke | fail to follow suit when able and required to do so. |
| ~ develop | move into a strategically more advantageous position.; "develop the rook" |
| ~ develop | move one's pieces into strategically more advantageous positions.; "Spassky developed quickly" |
| ~ die | to be on base at the end of an inning, of a player. |
| ~ misplay | play wrong or in an unskillful manner. |
| ~ start | play in the starting lineup. |
| ~ fumble | drop or juggle or fail to play cleanly a grounder.; "fumble a grounder" |
| ~ volley | make a volley. |
| ~ unblock | play the cards of (a suit) so that the last trick on which a hand can follow suit will be taken by a higher card in the hand of a partner who has the remaining cards of a combined holding. |
| ~ replay | play again.; "We replayed the game"; "replay a point" |
| ~ cricket | play cricket. |
| ~ backstop | act as a backstop. |
| ~ fullback | play the fullback. |
| ~ quarterback | play the quarterback. |
| ~ cradle | run with the stick. |
| ~ exit | lose the lead. |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ play out | play to a finish.; "We have got to play this game out, even thought it is clear that we have last" |
| ~ field | play as a fielder. |
| ~ catch | be the catcher.; "Who is catching?" |
| ~ bully off, face off | start a game by a face-off. |
| ~ tee off | strike a ball from the teeing ground at the start of a hole. |
| ~ ace | play (a hole) in one stroke. |
| ~ complete, nail | complete a pass. |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ walk | give a base on balls to. |
| ~ bowl | engage in the sport of bowling.; "My parents like to bowl on Friday nights" |
| ~ golf | play golf. |
| ~ bandy | toss or strike a ball back and forth. |
| ~ foul | commit a foul; break the rules. |
| ~ put out | retire.; "he was put out at third base on a long throw from left field" |
| ~ croquet | play a game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops. |
| ~ putt | hit a putt.; "he lost because he putted so poorly" |
| ~ seesaw, teeter-totter, teetertotter | ride on a plank. |
| ~ bid, call | make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands.; "He called his trump" |
| v. (social) | 19. play | act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome.; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| ~ play | behave in a certain way.; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair" |
| v. (creation) | 20. play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ music | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner. |
| ~ strike up, sound off | start playing.; "The musicians struck up a tune" |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ spiel, play | replay (as a melody).; "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" |
| ~ swing | play with a subtle and intuitively felt sense of rhythm. |
| ~ play | perform music on (a musical instrument).; "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?" |
| ~ symphonise, symphonize | play or sound together, in harmony. |
| ~ play along, accompany, follow | perform an accompaniment to.; "The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano" |
| ~ bow | play on a string instrument with a bow. |
| ~ busk | play music in a public place and solicit money for it.; "three young men were busking in the plaza" |
| v. (creation) | 21. act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ act as, act, play | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind.; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" |
| ~ make believe, pretend, make | represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like.; "She makes like an actress" |
| ~ re-create | create anew.; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| ~ support | play a subordinate role to (another performer).; "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" |
| ~ play | pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity.; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" |
| ~ act out, enact, reenact | act out; represent or perform as if in a play.; "She reenacted what had happened earlier that day" |
| ~ act out | represent an incident, state, or emotion by action, especially on stage.; "She could act neurotic anxiety" |
| ~ impersonate, portray | assume or act the character of.; "She impersonates Madonna"; "The actor portrays an elderly, lonely man" |
| ~ parody | make a spoof of or make fun of. |
| ~ emote | give expression or emotion to, in a stage or movie role. |
| v. (social) | 22. play | be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
| ~ roughhouse | engage in rough or disorderly play. |
| ~ fool around, horse around, arse around, fool | indulge in horseplay.; "Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!"; "The bored children were fooling about" |
| ~ cavort, frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, lark about, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, disport, sport | play boisterously.; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the playroom" |
| ~ recreate, play | engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion.; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike" |
| ~ act | be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure. |
| ~ splash around, dabble, paddle | play in or as if in water, as of small children. |
| v. (creation) | 23. play, spiel | replay (as a melody).; "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully" |
| ~ re-create | create anew.; "Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale" |
| ~ riff | play riffs. |
| ~ misplay | play incorrectly, e.g., play a wrong note. |
| ~ fiddle | play on a violin.; "Zuckerman fiddled that song very nicely" |
| ~ play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ replay | play (a melody) again. |
| ~ prelude | play as a prelude. |
| ~ jazz | play something in the style of jazz. |
| ~ rag | play in ragtime.; "rag that old tune" |
| ~ bugle | play on a bugle. |
| ~ reprise, reprize, recapitulate, repeat | repeat an earlier theme of a composition. |
| ~ slur | play smoothly or legato.; "the pianist slurred the most beautiful passage in the sonata" |
| ~ bang out | play loudly.; "They banged out `The star-spangled banner'" |
| ~ modulate | change the key of, in music.; "modulate the melody" |
| ~ tongue | articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments. |
| v. (creation) | 24. play | perform music on (a musical instrument).; "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?" |
| ~ music | musical activity (singing or whistling etc.).; "his music was his central interest" |
| ~ music | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner. |
| ~ play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| ~ register | manipulate the registers of an organ. |
| ~ skirl | play the bagpipes. |
| ~ beat | produce a rhythm by striking repeatedly.; "beat the drum" |
| ~ tweedle | play negligently on a musical instrument. |
| ~ chord | play chords on (a string instrument). |
| ~ pipe | play on a pipe.; "pipe a tune" |
| ~ drum | play a percussion instrument. |
| ~ harp | play the harp.; "She harped the Saint-Saens beautifully" |
| ~ fiddle | play the violin or fiddle. |
| ~ trumpet | play or blow on the trumpet. |
| ~ clarion | blow the clarion. |
| ~ sound | cause to sound.; "sound the bell"; "sound a certain note" |
| v. (body) | 25. act, act as, play | pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind.; "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| v. (motion) | 26. play | move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly.; "The spotlights played on the politicians" |
| ~ go, locomote, move, travel | change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
| v. (competition) | 27. play | bet or wager (money).; "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races" |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ underplay | play a card lower than (a held high card). |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| v. (social) | 28. play, recreate | engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion.; "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike" |
| ~ play | be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
| v. (creation) | 29. play | pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity.; "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ sham, feign, simulate, assume | make a pretence of.; "She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger"; "he feigned sleep" |
| v. (creation) | 30. play | emit recorded sound.; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" |
| ~ run, play | cause to emit recorded audio or video.; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video" |
| ~ sound | give off a certain sound or sounds.; "This record sounds scratchy" |
| v. (creation) | 31. play | perform on a certain location.; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| v. (competition) | 32. play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ deploy | place troops or weapons in battle formation. |
| ~ pitch | lead (a card) and establish the trump suit. |
| ~ cover | play a higher card than the one previously played.; "Smith covered again" |
| ~ declare | designate (a trump suit or no-trump) with the final bid of a hand. |
| v. (body) | 33. play, toy | engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously.; "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| v. (social) | 34. play | behave in a certain way.; "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| ~ play | act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome.; "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal" |
| v. (creation) | 35. play, run | cause to emit recorded audio or video.; "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video" |
| ~ run | cause to perform.; "run a subject"; "run a process" |
| ~ play | emit recorded sound.; "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered" |
| ~ execute, run | carry out a process or program, as on a computer or a machine.; "Run the dishwasher"; "run a new program on the Mac"; "the computer executed the instruction" |
| v. (contact) | 36. diddle, fiddle, play, toy | manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination.; "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate" |
| ~ manipulate | hold something in one's hands and move it. |
| ~ put out, retire | cause to be out on a fielding play. |
| v. (consumption) | 37. play | use to one's advantage.; "She plays on her clients' emotions" |
| ~ exploit, work | use or manipulate to one's advantage.; "He exploit the new taxation system"; "She knows how to work the system"; "he works his parents for sympathy" |
| v. (cognition) | 38. dally, play, trifle | consider not very seriously.; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" |
| ~ look at, deal, consider, take | take into consideration for exemplifying purposes.; "Take the case of China"; "Consider the following case" |
| ~ dally, toy, flirt, play | behave carelessly or indifferently.; "Play about with a young girl's affection" |
| v. (stative) | 39. play | be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way.; "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee" |
| v. (social) | 40. dally, flirt, play, toy | behave carelessly or indifferently.; "Play about with a young girl's affection" |
| ~ trifle, dally, play | consider not very seriously.; "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania" |
| ~ act, move | perform an action, or work out or perform (an action).; "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" |
| v. (motion) | 41. play | cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space.; "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack" |
| ~ move, displace | cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense.; "Move those boxes into the corner, please"; "I'm moving my money to another bank"; "The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant" |
| v. (creation) | 42. act, play, playact, roleplay | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| ~ dramatic art, dramaturgy, dramatics, theater, theatre | the art of writing and producing plays. |
| ~ perform | give a performance (of something).; "Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight"; "We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera" |
| ~ play | perform on a certain location.; "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years" |
| ~ play | be performed or presented for public viewing.; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" |
| ~ act, play, represent | play a role or part.; "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master" |
| ~ stooge | act as the stooge.; "His role was to stooge for the popular comedian" |
| ~ pantomime, mime | act out without words but with gestures and bodily movements only.; "The acting students mimed eating an apple" |
| ~ ham, ham it up, overact, overplay | exaggerate one's acting. |
| ~ underact, underplay | act (a role) with great restraint. |
| ~ act | be suitable for theatrical performance.; "This scene acts well" |
| v. (creation) | 43. play | be performed or presented for public viewing.; "What's playing in the local movie theater?"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ debut | appear for the first time in public.; "The new ballet that debuts next months at Covent Garden, is already sold out" |
| ~ playact, roleplay, act, play | perform on a stage or theater.; "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'" |
| v. (creation) | 44. bring, make for, play, work, wreak | cause to happen or to occur as a consequence.; "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area" |
| ~ create, make | make or cause to be or to become.; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor" |
| ~ work, act | have an effect or outcome; often the one desired or expected.; "The voting process doesn't work as well as people thought"; "How does your idea work in practice?"; "This method doesn't work"; "The breaks of my new car act quickly"; "The medicine works only if you take it with a lot of water" |
| v. (contact) | 45. play | discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream.; "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day" |
| ~ discharge | pour forth or release.; "discharge liquids" |
| v. (competition) | 46. play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ play | bet or wager (money).; "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races" |
| ~ wager, bet, play | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| ~ wager, bet, play | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| v. (competition) | 47. bet, play, wager | stake on the outcome of an issue.; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" |
| ~ gamble | play games for money. |
| ~ bet on, gage, game, stake, punt, back | place a bet on.; "Which horse are you backing?"; "I'm betting on the new horse" |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ play | make bets.; "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville" |
| ~ raise | bet more than the previous player. |
| ~ see | match or meet.; "I saw the bet of one of my fellow players" |
| v. (competition) | 48. play | shoot or hit in a particular manner.; "She played a good backhand last night" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ hook | secure with the foot.; "hook the ball" |
| ~ hit | cause to move by striking.; "hit a ball" |
| v. (competition) | 49. play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ promote | change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent. |
| ~ play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose.; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
| v. (competition) | 50. play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ encounter, take on, meet, play | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ play | put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.; "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory" |
| ~ apply, employ, use, utilise, utilize | put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose.; "use your head!"; "we only use Spanish at home"; "I can't use this tool"; "Apply a magnetic field here"; "This thinking was applied to many projects"; "How do you utilize this tool?"; "I apply this rule to get good results"; "use the plastic bags to store the food"; "He doesn't know how to use a computer" |
| v. (competition) | 51. encounter, meet, play, take on | contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.; "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary" |
| ~ compete, vie, contend | compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others. |
| ~ play | participate in games or sport.; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches" |
| ~ confront, face | oppose, as in hostility or a competition.; "You must confront your opponent"; "Jackson faced Smith in the boxing ring"; "The two enemies finally confronted each other" |
| ~ play | employ in a game or in a specific position.; "They played him on first base" |
| ~ play | use or move.; "I had to play my queen" |
| ~ play | shoot or hit in a particular manner.; "She played a good backhand last night" |
| ~ replay | repeat a game against the same opponent.; "Princeton replayed Harvard" |
| v. (body) | 52. play | exhaust by allowing to pull on the line.; "play a hooked fish" |
| ~ exhaust, tucker, tucker out, wash up, beat | wear out completely.; "This kind of work exhausts me"; "I'm beat"; "He was all washed up after the exam" |
| render | | |
| n. (substance) | 1. render | a substance similar to stucco but exclusively applied to masonry walls. |
| ~ stucco | a plaster now made mostly from Portland cement and sand and lime; applied while soft to cover exterior walls or surfaces. |
| v. (change) | 2. render | cause to become.; "The shot rendered her immobile" |
| ~ make, get | give certain properties to something.; "get someone mad"; "She made us look silly"; "He made a fool of himself at the meeting"; "Don't make this into a big deal"; "This invention will make you a millionaire"; "Make yourself clear" |
| v. (possession) | 3. furnish, provide, render, supply | give something useful or necessary to.; "We provided the room with an electrical heater" |
| ~ hydrate | supply water or liquid to in order to maintain a healthy balance.; "the bicyclists must be hydrated frequently" |
| ~ charge | energize a battery by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to discharge.; "I need to charge my car battery" |
| ~ date | provide with a dateline; mark with a date.; "She wrote the letter on Monday but she dated it Saturday so as not to reveal that she procrastinated" |
| ~ feed | feed into; supply.; "Her success feeds her vanity" |
| ~ calk | provide with calks.; "calk horse shoes" |
| ~ give | transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody.; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?"; "She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care" |
| ~ fund | provide a fund for the redemption of principal or payment of interest. |
| ~ stint, scant, skimp | supply sparingly and with restricted quantities.; "sting with the allowance" |
| ~ terrace, terrasse | provide (a house) with a terrace.; "We terrassed the country house" |
| ~ dado | provide with a dado.; "The owners wanted to dado their dining room" |
| ~ innervate | supply nerves to (some organ or body part). |
| ~ offer | make available or accessible, provide or furnish.; "The conference center offers a health spa"; "The hotel offers private meeting rooms" |
| ~ signalise, signalize | provide with traffic signals.; "signalize a busy intersection" |
| ~ extend, offer | make available; provide.; "extend a loan"; "The bank offers a good deal on new mortgages" |
| ~ stock | provide or furnish with a stock of something.; "stock the larder with meat" |
| ~ buy in, stock up, stock | amass so as to keep for future use or sale or for a particular occasion or use.; "let's stock coffee as long as prices are low" |
| ~ caption | provide with a caption, as of a photograph or a drawing. |
| ~ tube | provide with a tube or insert a tube into. |
| ~ ticket | provide with a ticket for passage or admission.; "Ticketed passengers can board now" |
| ~ stock | supply with livestock.; "stock a farm" |
| ~ stock | supply with fish.; "stock a lake" |
| ~ rim | furnish with a rim.; "rim a hat" |
| ~ fret | provide (a musical instrument) with frets.; "fret a guitar" |
| ~ step | furnish with steps.; "The architect wants to step the terrace" |
| ~ rail | provide with rails.; "The yard was railed" |
| ~ grate | furnish with a grate.; "a grated fireplace" |
| ~ capitalise, capitalize | supply with capital, as of a business by using a combination of capital used by investors and debt capital provided by lenders. |
| ~ alphabetize | provide with an alphabet.; "Cyril and Method alphabetized the Slavic languages" |
| ~ wharf | provide with a wharf.; "Wharf the mouth of the river" |
| ~ air-cool, air-condition | equip with an apparatus for controlling the humidity and temperature.; "Our house is not air-conditioned" |
| ~ uniform | provide with uniforms.; "The guards were uniformed" |
| ~ railroad | supply with railroad lines.; "railroad the West" |
| ~ partner | provide with a partner. |
| ~ bewhisker, whisker | furnish with whiskers.; "a whiskered jersey" |
| ~ subtitle | supply (a movie) with subtitles. |
| ~ headline | provide (a newspaper page or a story) with a headline. |
| ~ match | provide funds complementary to.; "The company matched the employees' contributions" |
| ~ hobnail | supply with hobnails. |
| ~ wive | provide with a wife; marry (someone) to a wife. |
| ~ victual | supply with food.; "The population was victualed during the war" |
| ~ cloy, surfeit | supply or feed to surfeit. |
| ~ heat | provide with heat.; "heat the house" |
| ~ seat | provide with seats.; "seat a concert hall" |
| ~ seat | put a seat on a chair. |
| ~ ramp | furnish with a ramp.; "The ramped auditorium" |
| ~ arm | supply with arms.; "The U.S. armed the freedom fighters in Afghanistan" |
| ~ interleave | provide (books) with blank leaves. |
| ~ glass, glaze | furnish with glass.; "glass the windows" |
| ~ crenel, crenelate, crenellate | supply with battlements. |
| ~ causeway | provide with a causeway.; "A causewayed swamp" |
| ~ canal, canalise, canalize | provide (a city) with a canal. |
| ~ bush | provide with a bushing. |
| ~ brattice | supply with a brattice, to ventilate mines. |
| ~ furnish | provide or equip with furniture.; "We furnished the house in the Biedermeyer style" |
| ~ slat | equip or bar with slats.; "Slat the windows" |
| ~ berth | provide with a berth. |
| ~ bed | furnish with a bed.; "The inn keeper could bed all the new arrivals" |
| ~ computerise, computerize | provide with computers.; "Our office is fully computerized now" |
| ~ costume | furnish with costumes; as for a film or play. |
| ~ bottom | provide with a bottom or a seat.; "bottom the chairs" |
| ~ rafter | provide (a ceiling) with rafters. |
| ~ tool | furnish with tools. |
| ~ key | provide with a key.; "We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building" |
| ~ fuel | provide with a combustible substance that provides energy.; "fuel aircraft, ships, and cars" |
| ~ provision, purvey | supply with provisions. |
| ~ yield, afford, give | be the cause or source of.; "He gave me a lot of trouble"; "Our meeting afforded much interesting information" |
| ~ equip, fit out, outfit, fit | provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose.; "The expedition was equipped with proper clothing, food, and other necessities" |
| ~ transistorise, transistorize | equip (an electronic circuit or device) with transistors. |
| ~ upholster | provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and covers. |
| ~ cleat | provide with cleats.; "cleat running shoes for better traction" |
| ~ coal | supply with coal. |
| ~ corbel | furnish with a corbel. |
| ~ cornice | furnish with a cornice. |
| ~ constitutionalize | provide with a constitution, as of a country.; "The United States were constitutionalized in the late 18th century" |
| ~ copper-bottom | provide with a copper bottom.; "copper-bottom a frying pan" |
| ~ curtain | provide with drapery.; "curtain the bedrooms" |
| ~ gate | supply with a gate.; "The house was gated" |
| ~ index | provide with an index.; "index the book" |
| ~ articulate, joint | provide with a joint.; "the carpenter jointed two pieces of wood" |
| ~ pour | supply in large amounts or quantities.; "We poured money into the education of our children" |
| ~ pump | supply in great quantities.; "Pump money into a project" |
| ~ fuel, fire | provide with fuel.; "Oil fires the furnace" |
| ~ oversupply, glut, flood | supply with an excess of.; "flood the market with tennis shoes"; "Glut the country with cheap imports from the Orient" |
| ~ toggle | provide with a toggle or toggles. |
| ~ patch | provide with a patch; also used metaphorically.; "The field was patched with snow" |
| ~ water | provide with water.; "We watered the buffalo" |
| ~ leverage | provide with leverage.; "We need to leverage this company" |
| ~ tap | furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it.; "tap a cask of wine" |
| ~ top out, top | provide with a top or finish the top (of a structure).; "the towers were topped with conical roofs" |
| ~ reflectorise, reflectorize | provide with reflectors, such as chemicals.; "the driveway was reflectorized for safety reasons" |
| ~ retrofit | provide with parts, devices, or equipment not available or in use at the time of the original manufacture.; "They car companies retrofitted all the old models with new carburetors" |
| ~ edge, border | provide with a border or edge.; "edge the tablecloth with embroidery" |
| ~ machicolate | supply with projecting galleries.; "machicolate the castle walls" |
| ~ sanitate | provide with sanitary facilities or appliances. |
| ~ hat | furnish with a hat. |
| ~ theme | provide with a particular theme or motive.; "the restaurant often themes its menus" |
| ~ kern | furnish with a kern. |
| ~ headquarter | provide with headquarters.; "the compnay is headquartered in New Jersey" |
| ~ shelter | provide shelter for.; "After the earthquake, the government could not provide shelter for the thousands of homeless people" |
| v. (creation) | 4. interpret, render | give an interpretation or rendition of.; "The pianist rendered the Beethoven sonata beautifully" |
| ~ performing arts | arts or skills that require public performance. |
| ~ perform, do, execute | carry out or perform an action.; "John did the painting, the weeding, and he cleaned out the gutters"; "the skater executed a triple pirouette"; "she did a little dance" |
| ~ sing | deliver by singing.; "Sing Christmas carols" |
| v. (creation) | 5. generate, give, render, return, yield | give or supply.; "The cow brings in 5 liters of milk"; "This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn"; "The estate renders some revenue for the family" |
| ~ produce, create, make | create or manufacture a man-made product.; "We produce more cars than we can sell"; "The company has been making toys for two centuries" |
| ~ yield, give | cause to happen or be responsible for.; "His two singles gave the team the victory" |
| ~ establish, give | bring about.; "The trompe l'oeil-illusion establishes depth" |
| v. (communication) | 6. deliver, render, return | pass down.; "render a verdict"; "deliver a judgment" |
| ~ communicate, pass along, put across, pass on, pass | transmit information.; "Please communicate this message to all employees"; "pass along the good news" |
| v. (possession) | 7. render, submit | make over as a return.; "They had to render the estate" |
| ~ law, jurisprudence | the collection of rules imposed by authority.; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
| ~ gift, present, give | give as a present; make a gift of.; "What will you give her for her birthday?" |
| v. (possession) | 8. render, return | give back.; "render money" |
| ~ give | transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody.; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?"; "She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care" |
| ~ feed back, resubmit | submit (information) again to a program or automatic system. |
| v. (possession) | 9. deliver, fork out, fork over, fork up, hand over, render, turn in | to surrender someone or something to another.; "the guard delivered the criminal to the police"; "render up the prisoners"; "render the town to the enemy"; "fork over the money" |
| ~ hand, pass on, turn over, pass, reach, give | place into the hands or custody of.; "hand me the spoon, please"; "Turn the files over to me, please"; "He turned over the prisoner to his lawyers" |
| ~ bail | deliver something in trust to somebody for a special purpose and for a limited period. |
| ~ give away | formally hand over to the bridegroom in marriage; of a bride by her father. |
| v. (creation) | 10. depict, picture, render, show | show in, or as in, a picture.; "This scene depicts country life"; "the face of the child is rendered with much tenderness in this painting" |
| ~ artistic creation, artistic production, art | the creation of beautiful or significant things.; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully" |
| ~ interpret, represent | create an image or likeness of.; "The painter represented his wife as a young girl" |
| ~ illustrate | depict with an illustration. |
| ~ map | depict as if on a map.; "sorrow was mapped on the mother's face" |
| v. (contact) | 11. render | coat with plastic or cement.; "render the brick walls in the den" |
| ~ masonry | the craft of a mason. |
| ~ coat, surface | put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface.; "coat the cake with chocolate" |
| v. (communication) | 12. give, render | bestow.; "give homage"; "render thanks" |
| ~ communicate, intercommunicate | transmit thoughts or feelings.; "He communicated his anxieties to the psychiatrist" |
| ~ dedicate | inscribe or address by way of compliment.; "She dedicated her book to her parents" |
| ~ give | accord by verdict.; "give a decision for the plaintiff" |
| v. (communication) | 13. interpret, render, translate | restate (words) from one language into another language.; "I have to translate when my in-laws from Austria visit the U.S."; "Can you interpret the speech of the visiting dignitaries?"; "She rendered the French poem into English"; "He translates for the U.N." |
| ~ ingeminate, iterate, reiterate, repeat, restate, retell | to say, state, or perform again.; "She kept reiterating her request" |
| ~ retranslate | translate again. |
| ~ mistranslate | translate incorrectly. |
| ~ gloss | provide an interlinear translation of a word or phrase. |
| ~ latinize | translate into Latin. |
| ~ translate | be translatable, or be translatable in a certain way.; "poetry often does not translate"; "Tolstoy's novels translate well into English" |
| v. (change) | 14. render, try | melt (fat or lard) in order to separate out impurities.; "try the yak butter"; "render fat in a casserole" |
| ~ cookery, cooking, preparation | the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat.; "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife" |
| ~ melt, melt down, run | reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating.; "melt butter"; "melt down gold"; "The wax melted in the sun" |
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