play

Change speaker

You're listening to Joanna
She has an American accent.

NGSL Rank: 157
play
pleɪ Listen
Meanings
verb
  • engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
    E.g. the children were playing by a pool
  • take part in (a sport).
    E.g. I play squash and badminton
  • be cooperative.
    E.g. he needs financial backing, but the building societies won't play
  • represent (a character) in a theatrical performance or a film.
    E.g. early in her career she played Ophelia
  • perform on (a musical instrument).
    E.g. a man was playing a guitar
  • move lightly and quickly, so as to appear and disappear; flicker.
    E.g. little beams of light played over the sea
  • allow (a fish) to exhaust itself pulling against a line before reeling it in.
    E.g. no fisherman ever played a bonita more carefully or with greater wile
noun
  • activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, especially by children.
    E.g. a child at play may use a stick as an aeroplane
  • the conducting of a sporting match.
    E.g. rain wrecked the second day's play
  • a dramatic work for the stage or to be broadcast.
    E.g. the actors put on a new play
  • the space in or through which a mechanism can or does move.
    E.g. the steering rack was loose, and there was a little play
  • light and constantly changing movement.
    E.g. the artist exploits the play of light across the surface

Practise saying this word

play
Joanna
YouReset