toying
- noun
- /ˈtɔɪɪŋ/
- Offensive
- His constant toying with her emotions eventually grew tiresome.
Examples
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Some people enjoy a bit of toying in their romantic relationships to keep things exciting.
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Her flirtatious toying left him confused about her true intentions.
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She enjoys toying with his emotions.
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His constant toying with her feelings is frustrating.
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His toying with her affections made it hard for her to know how he truly felt.
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She enjoyed toying with the idea of flirting, even though she was committed to someone else.
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His toying demeanor made it clear that he was only joking around and not serious.
Synonyms
Playful or romantic behavior that shows interest in someone
Playful behaviour to show romantic or sexual interest
Playful romantic behavior with sexual hints for a short time
Playful touching between people who are flirting
Playful way of acting that shows romantic or sexual interest in another person
Acting to show sexual interest without wanting to continue
Playful behavior to attract someone in a romantic way
Playful behavior, like smiling and teasing, that tries to attract romantic interest
A quality that makes people feel sexual interest
Antonyms
How Suggestive
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Toying comes from the simple word toy, which originally meant a 'small, playful object' and whose verb form meant 'to play' or 'to treat lightly'. So to 'toy' with someone's feelings is like treating them as a plaything, which explains the modern sense of playful, teasing behavior that can flirt or show sexual interest.