to play
- verb
- /pleɪ/
- Come on boys, let's play some football, you men.
- play games
- play sports
- play cards
And then also it's like being able to play is fun, man.
- And then also it's like being able to play is fun, man.
- We're going to talk about have you played Cyberpunk?
- In my lab, we had people play a game in groups of four.
- Yeah, they're attempting to play to win Amelia a Peppa Pig.
- Don't you want to just go play golf Now what?
Examples
-
Anyway, today we're going to play a game of hide and seek.
-
We're just gonna play a little catch.
-
And now when I play, I am no longer good.
-
Now he'll have someone to play with.
-
Anytime my child asked me to play, I will say yes.
-
Why don't we go play Frisbee on the beach?
-
I want to play!
-
We'll jump into Stadia and let's play some Ghost Recon.
-
After school, the children like to play soccer in the park.
-
Let's play a game of chess to pass the time.
Synonyms
To join in an activity with other people
To play or move around in a lively, cheerful way
Enjoy yourself a lot
To enjoy yourself by behaving in a lively, playful way
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
Act in a careless way by ignoring rules and other people's feelings
Not part of the game, for example when the ball or a player leaves the playing area
- Offensive
To pretend to be treated unfairly to get sympathy or avoid blame
- Literature
To mention someone's gender to gain an advantage in a discussion
- Informal
To put a lot of effort into work and enjoy free time actively
- Slang
Tell someone angrily to do something dangerous to stop them complaining
Phrasal Verbs
- Informal
Date several different people without wanting a serious relationship
To trick someone who trusts you by hiding your real plans to get something for yourself
To act as if you are attracted to the opposite sex to hide your true sexual feelings
Compounds
Honest behavior that treats everyone the same and follows the rules in sport or competition
- Literature
A play where characters are good or bad qualities to teach right and wrong
- Specialized
Works as soon as you connect or install it without needing any setup
A golf contest where each hole is a separate game and the player who wins more holes wins the contest
- Specialized
A play in American football where a player throws the ball forward to a teammate
- Jargon
A baseball or softball play when the defending team gets three players out in one action
- Jargon
A football play where the quarterback fakes a pass then hands the ball to a running back
- Jargon
The normal action during a game not counting set pieces like free kicks or penalties
A planned move in American football by the team with the ball to move it or score
- Literature
A play from the Middle Ages that tells Bible stories, often about Jesus, performed for people
A group performance where actors read a play aloud without full sets or learning lines
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base tries to score as the batter bunts
- Specialized
A play where a runner must advance and a fielder with the ball touches the base first
- Jargon
A baseball play where a runner on third base waits for a bunt then runs home to avoid being out
- Literature
A short ancient Greek play mixing serious drama with rude comedy and actors dressed as half-man, half-goat creatures
- Jargon
A risky baseball play where the runner on third base runs home while the batter bunts
- Jargon
A play that lets a defender pass the start line then blocks them to open a gap for the runner
How Serious
Surface Forms
Etymology
Play comes from the old English verb plegian, meaning 'to move or take part', so to 'play' a game is simply to join in and take part for fun or competition.