English language

How to pronounce play in English?

Toggle Transcript
Type Words
Synonyms encounter, meet, take on
Has types replay, confront, face
Derivation playing


Princeton plays Yale this weekend.
Charlie likes to play Mary.
Type Words
Synonyms act, act as
Type of act, behave, do
Verb group behave, represent, act, do


She plays deaf when the news are bad.
Type Words
Synonyms diddle, fiddle, toy
Type of manipulate
Has types put out, retire


She played nervously with her wedding ring.
He played with the idea of running for the Senate.
Type Words
Synonyms drama, dramatic play
Type of dramatic work, dramatic composition
Has types theater of the absurd, morality play, satyr play, grand guignol, passion play, playlet, miracle play, mystery play
Derivation playlet


he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway.
Type Words
Synonyms swordplay
Type of action
Has types fencing
Type Words
Synonyms shimmer
Type of alteration, modification, change


the play of light on the water.
Type Words
Synonyms caper, frolic, gambol, romp
Type of recreation, diversion
Has types indulgence, dalliance, teasing, horseplay, lunacy, craziness, flirt, flirtation, flirting, folly, toying, foolery, tomfoolery, coquetry, word play, game


it was all done in play.
Type Words
Synonyms child's play
Type of diversion, recreation
Has types doctor, fireman, house


Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child.
Type Words
Synonyms dally, trifle
Type of consider, deal, take, look at
Verb group dally, flirt, toy


She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania.
Type Words
Synonyms bring, make for, work, wreak
Type of make, create
Verb group work, act


play a joke.
Type Words
Synonyms spiel
Type of re-create
Has types reprise, repeat, replay, rag, prelude, reprize, riff, recapitulate, bang out, tongue, modulate, misplay, slur, jazz, bugle, fiddle
Derivation playing


She played the third movement very beautifully.
Type Words
Synonyms turn
Type of activity
Has types innings, trick, trumping, move, start, down, starting, at-bat, lead, bat, ruff, attack


it is still my play.
Type Words
Synonyms act, playact, roleplay
Type of perform
Has types stooge, mime, overact, overplay, pantomime, underplay, underact, ham it up, ham
Verb group act, represent
Derivation playing, player


She acts in this play.
I played in `A Christmas Carol'.
Type Words
Synonyms bet, wager
Type of gamble
Has types raise, see, stake, game, gage, punt, bet on, back


She played all her money on the dark horse.
Type Words
Synonyms bid
Type of endeavour, attempt, effort, endeavor, try


they made a futile play for power.
Type Words
Synonyms maneuver, manoeuvre
Type of motion, movement, move
Has types trap play, mousetrap, icing, figure, shot, pass completion, assist, stroke, obstruction, ball hawking, baseball play, takeaway, blitz, completion, linebacker blitzing, jugglery, icing the puck, footwork, safety blitz


the runner was out on a play by the shortstop.
Type Words
Synonyms recreate
Derivation playing


On weekends I play.
Type Words
Synonyms run
Verb group execute, run


I'll play you my favorite record.
He never tires of playing that video.
Type Words
Synonyms looseness
Type of movableness, movability
Has types slackness, slack, wiggliness


there was too much play in the steering wheel.
Type Words
Synonyms dally, flirt, toy
Type of act, move
Verb group trifle, dally
Type Words
Synonyms free rein
Type of freedom


they gave full play to the artist's talent.
Type Words
Synonyms toy
Type of do, act, behave
Derivation playing


They played games on their opponents.
play the stock market.
play with her feelings.
Type Words
Synonyms gambling, gaming
Type of recreation, vice, diversion
Has types wager, gambling game, throw, game of chance, sporting life, bet


there was heavy play at the blackjack table.
Type Words
Synonyms fun, sport
Type of humor, humour, wittiness, witticism, wit
Has types punning, clowning, comedy, waggery, pun, waggishness, wordplay, jocularity, paronomasia, jocosity, drollery, funniness
Type Words
Synonyms period of play, playing period
Type of amount, measure, quantity
Has types golf hole, set, hole


rain stopped play in the 4th inning.
Type Words
Synonyms act, represent
Type of re-create
Has types emote, act out, impersonate, portray, make believe, parody, support, pretend, enact, make, reenact
Verb group act as, act, roleplay, playact
Derivation playing, player


Gielgud played Hamlet.
She played the servant to her husband's master.
Type Words
Type of move, act


This factor played only a minor part in his decision.
This development played into her hands.
I played no role in your dismissal.
Type Words
Type of plan of action
Has types razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, power play, razmataz, football play, basketball play, razzle, knock on


the coach drew up the plays for her team.
Type Words
Type of activeness, action, activity


the ball was still in play.
insiders said the company's stock was in play.
Type Words
Type of show
Has types musical theater, curtain raiser, musical, musical comedy
Derivation playlet


the play lasted two hours.
Type Words
Type of act
Has types frisk, lark about, lark, horse around, dabble, sport, splash around, gambol, cavort, arse around, skylark, run around, frolic, paddle, rollick, disport, fool, fool around, roughhouse, romp
Verb group recreate
Derivation playing


The kids were playing outside all day.
I used to play with trucks as a little girl.
Type Words
Type of move, act


play safe.
play it safe.
play fair.
Type Words
Has types debut
Verb group playact, roleplay, act


What's playing in the local movie theater?.
`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years.
Type Words
Type of gamble
Has types underplay


He played $20 on the new horse.
She plays the races.
Type Words
Type of move, displace


The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack.
Type Words
Type of discharge


play water from a hose.
The fountains played all day.
Type Words
Type of sound
Verb group run


The tape was playing for hours.
the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered.
Type Words
Type of apply, utilize, utilise, use, employ
Verb group take on, meet, encounter


They played him on first base.
Type Words
Type of tucker, exhaust, beat, tucker out, wash up


play a hooked fish.
Type Words
Type of wager, bet
Verb group wager, bet


play the casinos in Trouville.
Type Words
Type of go, travel, move, locomote


The spotlights played on the politicians.
Type Words
Type of vie, compete, contend
Has types line up, die, play out, teeter-totter, bowl, gamble, bandy, walk, bid, golf, teetertotter, tee off, curl, croquet, develop, volley, cricket, nail, cradle, quarterback, seesaw, putt, put out, complete, unblock, revoke, exit, catch, face off, replay, ace, field, call, misplay, bully off, foul, snooker, backstop, fullback, fumble, start
Verb group meet, encounter, take on
Derivation playing, player


We played hockey all afternoon.
play cards.
Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches.
Type Words
Type of sound
Has types drum, register, clarion, chord, fiddle, harp, beat, trumpet, skirl, pipe, tweedle
Derivation playing


He plays the flute.
Can you play on this old recorder?.
Type Words
Type of perform
Verb group roleplay, act, playact


The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16.
She has been playing on Broadway for years.
Type Words
Type of perform
Has types strike up, accompany, symphonize, sound off, symphonise, swing, play along, follow, busk, bow
Verb group spiel
Derivation player, playing


The band played all night long.
Type Words
Type of sham, simulate, feign, assume
Verb group act, represent


Let's play like I am mommy.
Type Words
Type of deploy
Has types cover, pitch, declare


He is playing his cards close to his chest.
The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory.
Type Words
Type of hit
Has types hook
Verb group meet, take on, encounter


She played a good backhand last night.
Type Words
Type of utilize, employ, apply, use, utilise
Has types promote
Verb group meet, take on, encounter


I had to play my queen.
Type Words
Type of exploit, work


She plays on her clients' emotions.
Type Words
Type of use, employment, utilization, exercise, utilisation, usage


the play of the imagination.

Examples of play

play
He says that is not a consideration and he wants to play in the final two games.
From the dailyherald.com
If this were a story about an American speech therapist, it would play the same.
From the dailyherald.com
The pair walk together several times a week and play together like fast friends.
From the abcnews.go.com
The Avs converted a little more than three minutes into the extended power play.
From the stltoday.com
The Blues allowed five power-play goals on 11 chances against on the West Coast.
From the stltoday.com
If TCU can't play for the national championship, then nobody should play for it.
From the stltoday.com
The play-calling and general approach in Sunday's Seattle debacle was appalling.
From the stltoday.com
Having some success on a good team really got him excited about wanting to play.
From the stltoday.com
For example, she might play up the family attractions to parenting publications.
From the newsday.com
More examples
  • A dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; "he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway"
  • Participate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
  • A theatrical performance of a drama; "the play lasted two hours"
  • 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"
  • A preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up the plays for her team"
  • Play on an instrument; "The band played all night long"
  • PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a concert series that features music from video games performed by a live orchestra. The concerts from 2006 to 2010 were conducted by Arnie Roth. From 2010, Andy Brick took the position of principal conductor and music director.
  • Play refers to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities that are normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment. Play may consist of amusing, pretend or imaginary interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions or "interplay". ...
  • In ethology, play is an important part of learning in many animals, though it is generally only seen in those species possessing highly complex nervous systems such as mammals and birds.