Meaning

32 senses
  1. (intransitive)To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment.

    The children played in the park.

    2003, Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont et al. (eds.), Joining Society: Social Interaction and Learning in Adolescence and Youth, Cambridge Univ. Press, p.52:

    spielen, schpile (als)

    игра́тьigrátʹ, поигра́тьpoigrátʹ, игратьсяigratʹsja

    гра́тиhráty, гра́тисяhrátysja, ба́витисяbávytysja

  2. (especially, intransitive)To toy or trifle; to act with levity or thoughtlessness; to be careless.

    Don't play with your food!

    He's just playing with her affections.

  3. (intransitive, transitive)To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).

    He plays on three teams.

    Who's playing now?

    participate in games or sport

  4. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game).

    (intransitive, transitive)Specifying a particular sporting role or position.

    He plays left back for Mudchester Rovers

  5. (intransitive, transitive)To compete against, in a game.

    We're playing one of the top teams in the next round.

    contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle

  6. (intransitive, transitive)To be the opposing score to.

    Look at the score now ... 23 plays 8!

  7. (intransitive)To contend or fight using weapons, both as practice or in real life-or-death combats; to engage in martial games; to joust; to fence

  8. (copulative, intransitive)To act or behave in a stated way.

    to play safe, to play fair, to play dirty

    behave in a certain way

  9. To act or behave in a stated way.

    (copulative, intransitive)To give a false appearance of being; to pretend to be.

    He plays dumb, but actually he's very clever.

    Don't play the innocent with us.

  10. (transitive)To act as (the indicated role).

    Stop playing the fool.

    No part of the brain plays the role of permanent memory.

    play a role or part

  11. To act as (the indicated role).

    (transitive)To portray (a character) in (a film or theatre).

    Who played Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind'?

  12. To produce sound (especially music), moving pictures, or theatrical performance.

    (especially, intransitive, transitive)To produce music using a musical instrument.

    I'll play the piano and you sing.

    Can you play an instrument?

    spielen, spielen, abspielen

    игра́тьigrátʹ, игра́тьigrátʹ, поигра́тьpoigrátʹ

    гра́тиhráty

    perform music on (a musical instrument)

Examples

9271 sentences
  1. Do you play a musical instrument?

    Чи ви граєте на якомусь музичному інструменті?

    ruВы играете на каком-нибудь музыкальном инструменте?

    deSpielst du ein Musikinstrument?

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  2. May I go out to play?

    Можна я піду погуляю?

    ruМожно я пойду погуляю?

    deKann ich raus zum Spielen gehen?

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  3. It's too dark to play outside.

    Занадто темно, щоб гратися надворі.

    ruСлишком темно, чтобы играть на улице.

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  4. It is fun to play baseball.

    Грати у бейсбол — це весело.

    ruВ бейсбол играть весело.

    deBaseball spielen macht Spaß.

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  5. How long have you played soccer?

    Скільки ти вже граєш у футбол?

    ruДавно играешь в футбол?

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Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 2
participate in (a sport or game):
act in a manner such that one has fun:
Русский
By meaning 2
7.8. to act or perform (a play) — see also act:
act in a manner such that one has fun:
Deutsch
By meaning 5
5.1. give a false appearance of being; to pretend to be — see also feign, simulate:
7.8. to act or perform (a play) — see also act:
participate in (a sport or game):
use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording — see also resume, project, put on:
manipulate or deceive someone — see also play for a fool, deceive:

Origin

From Middle English pleyen (verb) and Middle English pleye (noun), from Old English plegia

From Middle English pleyen (verb) and Middle English pleye (noun), from Old English plegian and plegan, plagian (“to play, exercise, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *plehan (“to care about, be concerned with”) and Proto-West Germanic *plegōn (“to engage, move”), of uncertain origin.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plays, playing, played, played
Base formplay · to play
3rd person singularplays
Present participleplaying
Past simpleplayed
Past participleplayed

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theyplay
he, she, itplays

Past simpleLesson

all personsplayed

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave played
he, she, ithas played

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill play

Phrasal verbs

15 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

115 synonyms
Close in meaning
  • engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously:toy

Word family

2 related words

Collocations

12 patterns
  • play tennis
  • how to play
  • play the piano
  • to play the
  • play the guitar
  • to play tennis
  • play golf
  • want to play
  • play chess
  • play tennis with
  • used to play
  • play the saxophone

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
play — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto