to play
- verb
- /pleɪ/
- In the school play, I will play the role of the kind-hearted prince.
- play the role
- play a character
- play the lead
Marcus Aurelius was the was played by Rich.
- Marcus Aurelius was the was played by Rich.
- She knows that I can play a real sexy girl.
- I don't think you can play the Vietnamese guy.
- What he's saying is that we should play the role well.
- Is there a role that you wouldn't play that I wouldn't play?
- So first of all, I will be playing Mark and then did we?
- I love it when people play people, famous people.
- Then you've got Barbosa played by Geoffrey Rush.
- And the guy who played him played psychopath brilliantly.
Examples
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"From the beginning, I was prepared to play any role needed by the group.
Academic text (2013) -
I wrote down Dorothy, I would like to play Dorothy.
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And this woman that I play has set herself up as God.
-
Go on, I'll play Rory.
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What he's saying is that we should play the role well.
-
And who doesn't want to play the voice of God, you know?
-
Students with less developed skills are given easier parts to play to develop rudimentary skills.
Academic text (2011) -
My choice was Denzel Washington to play Jackie.
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I'm going to go and play Evelyn.
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She was excited to play the lead character in the upcoming film.
Synonyms
To entertain people by singing, acting, or dancing
Perform a role in a play, film, or show
To perform in a play or film
Act as a character in a play or film
Serve in the role of a person or thing
Act as a character in a play or film
To play a character in a film or play
To act in a show or help make something happen
To act as a character in a play or as someone in a real situation
To act out a scene in front of people, like in a play
To act out a scene to practice or show how something happens
To pretend to be a person in a story on stage or with friends
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 Prominent
Surface Forms
Etymology
Play comes from the old English plegian, meaning 'to act', and that is why an actor 'plays' a role — they act or perform a part on stage or screen.