Playful

How to spell playful

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce playful

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does playful mean?

1. adjectiveFull of fun and good-natured high spirits; fond of play or teasing.

Playful in a sentence

• The puppy was so playful that it knocked over the water bowl.

• Her playful tone made it clear she was only teasing.

Where does playful come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The word playful is a native English formation, built straightforwardly from the noun and verb 'play' and the suffix '-ful', which means 'full of' or 'characterised by'. The root 'play' descends from the Old English 'plega', meaning brisk movement, exercise, or sport, and the related verb 'plegan', to busy oneself or to frolic, both of which have firm Germanic ancestry. The suffix '-ful' likewise comes from the Old English 'full', the same word as the adjective 'full', which is why a single 'l' is used at the end rather than the doubled 'll' of the standalone word. Playful was in use by the late 1300s, originally describing someone or something lively and given to play, and the meaning has stayed remarkably stable ever since. The most common spelling slip is doubling that final letter into 'playfull', a mistake the '-ful' suffix consistently catches.

How the word is built

• play (to engage in fun activity)
• -ful (full of)