| 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" |
Recent comments
2 weeks 1 day ago
6 weeks 2 days ago
7 weeks 5 days ago
23 weeks 7 hours ago
23 weeks 7 hours ago
23 weeks 9 hours ago
23 weeks 5 days ago
27 weeks 6 days ago
28 weeks 5 days ago
29 weeks 4 days ago