What is the meaning of playing?

noun

  • The act of playing a musical instrument.
  • The action of taking part in a game or sport or other recreation.
  • The performance of a part or role in a drama.

verb

  • Participate in games or sport.
    • usage: "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
  • Act or have an effect in a specified way or with a specific effect or outcome.
    • usage: "This factor played only a minor part in his decision"; "This development played into her hands"; "I played no role in your dismissal"
  • Play on an instrument.
    • usage: "The band played all night long"
  • Play a role or part.
    • usage: "Gielgud played Hamlet"; "She wants to act Lady Macbeth, but she is too young for the role"; "She played the servant to her husband's master"
  • Be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children.
    • usage: "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl"
  • Replay (as a melody. )
    • usage: "Play it again, Sam"; "She played the third movement very beautifully"
  • Perform music on (a musical instrument. )
    • usage: "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder"
  • Pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind.
    • usage: "He acted the idiot"; "She plays deaf when the news are bad"
  • Move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly.
    • usage: "The spotlights played on the politicians"
  • Bet or wager (money. )
    • usage: "He played $20 on the new horse"; "She plays the races"
  • Engage in recreational activities rather than work; occupy oneself in a diversion.
    • usage: "On weekends I play"; "The students all recreate alike"
  • Pretend to be somebody in the framework of a game or playful activity.
    • usage: "Let's play like I am mommy"; "Play cowboy and Indians"
  • Emit recorded sound.
    • usage: "The tape was playing for hours"; "the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered"
  • Perform on a certain location.
    • usage: "The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16"; "She has been playing on Broadway for years"
  • Put (a card or piece) into play during a game, or act strategically as if in a card game.
    • usage: "He is playing his cards close to his chest"; "The Democrats still have some cards to play before they will concede the electoral victory"
  • Engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously.
    • usage: "They played games on their opponents"; "play the stock market"; "play with her feelings"; "toy with an idea"
  • Behave in a certain way.
    • usage: "play safe"; "play it safe"; "play fair"
  • Cause to emit recorded audio or video.
    • usage: "They ran the tapes over and over again"; "I'll play you my favorite record"; "He never tires of playing that video"
  • Manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination.
    • usage: "She played nervously with her wedding ring"; "Don't fiddle with the screws"; "He played with the idea of running for the Senate"
  • Use to one's advantage.
    • usage: "She plays on her clients' emotions"
  • Consider not very seriously.
    • usage: "He is trifling with her"; "She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania"
  • Be received or accepted or interpreted in a specific way.
    • usage: "This speech didn't play well with the American public"; "His remarks played to the suspicions of the committee"
  • Behave carelessly or indifferently.
    • usage: "Play about with a young girl's affection"
  • Cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space.
    • usage: "The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack"
  • Perform on a stage or theater.
    • usage: "She acts in this play"; "He acted in `Julius Caesar'"; "I played in `A Christmas Carol'"
  • Be performed or presented for public viewing.
    • usage: "What's playing in the local movie theater"; "`Cats' has been playing on Broadway for many years"
  • Cause to happen or to occur as a consequence.
    • usage: "I cannot work a miracle"; "wreak havoc"; "bring comments"; "play a joke"; "The rain brought relief to the drought-stricken area"
  • Discharge or direct or be discharged or directed as if in a continuous stream.
    • usage: "play water from a hose"; "The fountains played all day"
  • Make bets.
    • usage: "Play the races"; "play the casinos in Trouville"
  • Stake on the outcome of an issue.
    • usage: "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"
  • Shoot or hit in a particular manner.
    • usage: "She played a good backhand last night"
  • Use or move.
    • usage: "I had to play my queen"
  • Employ in a game or in a specific position.
    • usage: "They played him on first base"
  • Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle.
    • usage: "Princeton plays Yale this weekend"; "Charlie likes to play Mary"
  • Exhaust by allowing to pull on the line.
    • usage: "play a hooked fish"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). playing. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/playing/definitions/1188717
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "playing" http://smartdefine.org/playing/definitions/1188717 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, playing, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/playing/definitions/1188717>.
MLAWordNet. "playing" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/playing/definitions/1188717>
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