# playfully

**Pronunciation:** /ˈpleɪfəli/ · PLAY-fuh-lee

**CEFR level:** B1

**Part of speech:** adverb

## Meaning

In a manner that is lighthearted, humorous, and intended for fun or amusement, often in a teasing or mischievous way.

## Examples

- She playfully nudged him with her elbow.
- The children were playfully chasing each other around the garden.
- He made a playfully sarcastic comment about the weather.

## Synonyms

- jokingly — Suggests humor or lighthearted teasing.
- whimsically — Implies a fanciful or capricious, often charming, way of behaving.
- mischievously — Highlights a slightly naughty or impish element to the playfulness.
- sportingly — Suggests fairness and good-naturedness, especially in competition or disagreement.

## Antonyms

- seriously — Lacking humor or lightheartedness; with great sincerity.
- grimly — In a determined, severe, or forbidding manner.
- earnestly — With sincere and intense conviction.

## Common patterns

- playfully + verb — Describes an action done in a lighthearted or teasing manner. — He playfully tapped her on the shoulder.
- playfully + adjective — Describes a quality or state that is expressed in a lighthearted or teasing way. — Her eyes twinkled with a playfully mischievous light.

## Collocations

- playfully tease — The older sister playfully teased her brother about his new haircut.
- playfully suggest — She playfully suggested they go on a spontaneous road trip.
- playfully interact — The dolphins playfully interacted with the swimmers.

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/playfully

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