play

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. sport, frolic, fun, amusement, game, recreation; drama, comedy, tragedy; scope, freedom, latitude, sweep, range. —v. operate, wield, ply; act, perform; compete; pluck, bow, strike, beat; move, caper, gambol, dally, idle, disport. See influence, exertion, space, music, sports.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Amusement]

Syn. enjoyment, diversion, pleasure; see entertainment 1 .

2. [Recreation]

Syn. relaxation, game, sport; see entertainment 2 .

3. [Fun]

Syn. frolic, happiness, sportiveness; see fun .

4. [A drama]

Syn. piece, musical, theatrical; see drama 1 , performance 2 , show 2 .

5. [Sport]

Syn. exhibition, match, tryout; see sport 1 , 3 .

6. [Action]

Syn. activity, movement, working; see action 1 .

• make a play for*,

Syn. make advances to, court, try for; see try 1 .

v.

1. [To amuse oneself]

Syn. entertain oneself, revel, make merry, carouse, play games, rejoice, have a good time, idle away, horse around*.

Ant. mourn*, grieve, sulk.

2. [To gambol]

Syn. frisk, sport, cavort, joke, dance, romp, frolic, play games, make jokes, be a practical joker, jump, jump about, skip, frolic, caper, cut capers*, cut up*, show off*, be the life of the party*, play the fool*, carry on*.

Ant. drag*, mope, droop.

3. [To produce music]

Syn. perform, execute, operate, work, cause to sound, finger, pedal, bow, plunk, tinkle, pipe, toot, mouth, pump, fiddle, sound, strike, saw, scrape, twang, pound, thump, tickle.

4. [To display light, erratic movement]

Syn. waltz, spout, flicker; see dance 1 , 2 .

5. [To act in a play]

Syn. impersonate, present, represent; see act 3 , perform 2 .

6. [To engage in sport]

Syn. participate, engage, rival; see compete , contest 2 .

7. [To pretend]

Syn. imagine, suppose, think; see pretend 1 .

8. [To gamble]

Syn. chance, risk, hazard; see gamble 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. show drama, stage play, production, performance, entertainment, melodrama, musical, comedy, farce, tragedy.

2. fun amusement, recreation, entertainment, sport, relaxation, game-playing, diversion, frolic, romping, pastime.

II

v.

1. have fun recreate, romp, amuse oneself, engage in sport, *cut loose, *let down one s hair, clown around, kid around, frolic, cavort.

2. compete vie, go up against, contend, pit oneself against.

3. perform portray, take the part of.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I verb 1. To occupy oneself with amusement or diversion: disport, recreate, sport. See WORK. 2. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion: fiddle, fidget, fool, monkey, putter, tinker, toy, trifle, twiddle. See TOUCH. 3. To make a bet: bet, gamble, game, lay1, wager. Idiom: put one's money on something. See GAMBLING. 4. To treat lightly or flippantly: dally, flirt, toy, trifle. See WORK. 5. To play the part of: act, do, enact, impersonate, perform, play-act, portray, represent. See ACTION, PERFORMING ARTS, SUBSTITUTE. 6. To make music: perform. See PERFORMING ARTS. 7. To perform according to one's artistic conception: execute, interpret, render. See PERFORMING ARTS. 8. To be performed: run, show. See PERFORMING ARTS. 9. To control to one's own advantage by artful or indirect means: exploit, maneuver, manipulate. See CONTROL, STRAIGHT. 10. To cause to undergo or bear (something unwelcome or damaging, for example): impose, inflict, visit, wreak. See GIVE, OVER, WILLING. II noun 1. Activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement: disport, diversion, fun, recreation, sport. See WORK. 2. Actions taken as a joke: fun, game, sport. See WORK. 3. The act of putting into play: application, employment, exercise, exertion, implementation, operation, usage, use, utilization. See USED. 4. Suitable opportunity to accept or allow something: elbowroom, latitude, leeway, margin, room, scope. See PLACE, RESTRAINT. 5. Ease of or space for movement: elbowroom, freedom. See TIGHTEN.