Definition: the act using a sword (or other weapon) vigorously and skillfully
Similar words: action
Definition: something done (usually as opposed to something said)
Usage: there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions
Synonyms: gambling, gaming, play
Definition: the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)
Usage: his gambling cost him a fortune; there was heavy play at the blackjack table
Similar words: diversion, recreation
Definition: an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
Usage: scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists; for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles; drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation
Similar words: vice
Definition: a specific form of evildoing
Usage: vice offends the moral standards of the community
Synonyms: child's play, play
Definition: activity by children that is guided more by imagination than by fixed rules
Usage: Freud believed in the utility of play to a small child
Similar words: diversion, recreation
Definition: an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
Usage: scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists; for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles; drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation
Definition: (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession
Usage: it is my turn; it is still my play
Similar words: activity
Definition: any specific behavior
Usage: they avoided all recreational activity
Synonyms: caper, frolic, gambol, romp, play
Definition: gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement
Usage: it was all done in play; their frolic in the surf threatened to become ugly
Similar words: diversion, recreation
Definition: an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
Usage: scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists; for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles; drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation
Synonyms: maneuver, manoeuvre, play
Definition: a deliberate coordinated movement requiring dexterity and skill
Usage: he made a great maneuver; the runner was out on a play by the shortstop
Similar words: motion, move, movement
Definition: the act of changing location from one place to another
Usage: police controlled the motion of the crowd; the movement of people from the farms to the cities; his move put him directly in my path
Synonyms: play
Definition: a preset plan of action in team sports
Usage: the coach drew up the plays for her team
Similar words: plan of action
Definition: a plan for actively doing something
Definition: an attempt to get something
Usage: they made a futile play for power; he made a bid to gain attention
Similar words: endeavor, endeavour, effort, try, attempt
Definition: earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
Usage: made an effort to cover all the reading material; wished him luck in his endeavor; she gave it a good try
Synonyms: play
Definition: utilization or exercise
Usage: the play of the imagination
Similar words: usage, use, utilisation, utilization, employment, exercise
Definition: the act of using
Usage: he warned against the use of narcotic drugs; skilled in the utilization of computers
Definition: movement or space for movement
Usage: there was too much play in the steering wheel
Similar words: movability, movableness
Definition: the quality of being movable; capable of being moved or rearranged
Definition: verbal wit or mockery (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously)
Usage: he became a figure of fun; he said it in sport
Similar words: wit, witticism, wittiness, humor, humour
Definition: a message whose ingenuity or verbal skill or incongruity has the power to evoke laughter
Synonyms: drama, dramatic play, play
Definition: a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
Usage: he wrote several plays but only one was produced on Broadway
Similar words: dramatic composition, dramatic work
Definition: a play for performance on the stage or television or in a movie etc.
Synonyms: play
Definition: a theatrical performance of a drama
Usage: the play lasted two hours
Similar words: show
Definition: a social event involving a public performance or entertainment
Usage: they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway
Definition: a weak and tremulous light
Usage: the shimmer of colors on iridescent feathers; the play of light on the water
Similar words: change, modification, alteration
Definition: an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another
Usage: the change was intended to increase sales; this storm is certainly a change for the worse; the neighborhood had undergone few modifications since his last visit years ago
Definition: the removal of constraints
Usage: he gave free rein to his impulses; they gave full play to the artist's talent
Similar words: freedom
Definition: the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
Synonyms: play
Definition: a state in which action is feasible
Usage: the ball was still in play; insiders said the company's stock was in play
Similar words: action, activeness, activity
Definition: the state of being active
Usage: his sphere of activity; he is out of action
Synonyms: period of play, play, playing period
Definition: (in games or plays or other performances) the time during which play proceeds
Usage: rain stopped play in the 4th inning
Similar words: quantity, measure, amount
Definition: how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
Definition: 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
Similar words: act, behave, do
Definition: behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
Usage: You should act like an adult; Don't behave like a fool; What makes her do this way?; The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people
Definition: pretend to have certain qualities or state of mind
Usage: He acted the idiot; She plays deaf when the news are bad
Similar words: act, behave, do
Definition: behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself
Usage: You should act like an adult; Don't behave like a fool; What makes her do this way?; The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people
Synonyms: play
Definition: exhaust by allowing to pull on the line
Usage: play a hooked fish
Similar words: wash up, exhaust, beat, tucker, tucker out
Definition: wear out completely
Usage: This kind of work exhausts me; I'm beat; He was all washed up after the exam
Definition: consider not very seriously
Usage: He is trifling with her; She plays with the thought of moving to Tasmania
Similar words: take, look at, consider, deal
Definition: take into consideration for exemplifying purposes
Usage: Take the case of China; Consider the following case
Synonyms: play
Definition: participate in games or sport
Usage: We played hockey all afternoon; play cards; Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches
Similar words: contend, vie, compete
Definition: compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others
Synonyms: play
Definition: employ in a game or in a specific position
Usage: They played him on first base
Similar words: use, utilise, utilize, employ, apply
Definition: put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
Usage: use your head!; we only use Spanish at home; I can't use this tool; Apply a magnetic field here; This thinking was applied to many projects; How do you utilize this tool?; I apply this rule to get good results; use the plastic bags to store the food; He doesn't know how to use a computer
Synonyms: play
Definition: use or move
Usage: I had to play my queen
Similar words: use, utilise, utilize, employ, apply
Definition: put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
Usage: use your head!; we only use Spanish at home; I can't use this tool; Apply a magnetic field here; This thinking was applied to many projects; How do you utilize this tool?; I apply this rule to get good results; use the plastic bags to store the food; He doesn't know how to use a computer
Synonyms: play
Definition: shoot or hit in a particular manner
Usage: She played a good backhand last night
Synonyms: play
Definition: bet or wager (money)
Usage: He played $20 on the new horse; She plays the races
Similar words: gamble
Definition: play games for money
Synonyms: play
Definition: 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
Similar words: deploy
Definition: place troops or weapons in battle formation
Definition: stake on the outcome of an issue
Usage: I bet $100 on that new horse; She played all her money on the dark horse
Similar words: gamble
Definition: play games for money
Synonyms: play
Definition: make bets
Usage: Play the races; play the casinos in Trouville
Similar words: play, bet, wager
Definition: stake on the outcome of an issue
Usage: I bet $100 on that new horse; She played all her money on the dark horse
Synonyms: play
Definition: use to one's advantage
Usage: She plays on her clients' emotions
Definition: use or manipulate to one's advantage
Usage: He exploit the new taxation system; She knows how to work the system; he works his parents for sympathy
Synonyms: play
Definition: 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
Synonyms: fiddle, diddle, play, toy
Definition: 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
Similar words: manipulate
Definition: hold something in one's hands and move it
Synonyms: work, wreak, make for, play, bring
Definition: 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
Definition: make or cause to be or to become
Usage: make a mess in one's office; create a furor
Synonyms: play
Definition: perform on a certain location
Usage: The prodigy played Carnegie Hall at the age of 16; She has been playing on Broadway for years
Similar words: perform
Definition: give a performance (of something)
Usage: Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight; We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera
Synonyms: play
Definition: emit recorded sound
Usage: The tape was playing for hours; the stereo was playing Beethoven when I entered
Similar words: sound
Definition: give off a certain sound or sounds
Usage: This record sounds scratchy
Synonyms: represent, play, act
Definition: 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
Similar words: re-create
Definition: create anew
Usage: Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale
Synonyms: act, play, playact, roleplay
Definition: perform on a stage or theater
Usage: She acts in this play; He acted in `Julius Caesar'; I played in `A Christmas Carol'
Similar words: perform
Definition: give a performance (of something)
Usage: Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight; We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera
Synonyms: play
Definition: 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
Similar words: assume, sham, simulate, feign
Definition: make a pretence of
Usage: She assumed indifference, even though she was seething with anger; he feigned sleep
Definition: replay (as a melody)
Usage: Play it again, Sam; She played the third movement very beautifully
Similar words: re-create
Definition: create anew
Usage: Re-create the boom of the West on a small scale
Synonyms: play
Definition: play on an instrument
Usage: The band played all night long
Similar words: perform
Definition: give a performance (of something)
Usage: Horowitz is performing at Carnegie Hall tonight; We performed a popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera
Synonyms: play
Definition: perform music on (a musical instrument)
Usage: He plays the flute; Can you play on this old recorder?
Synonyms: play
Definition: move or seem to move quickly, lightly, or irregularly
Usage: The spotlights played on the politicians
Similar words: go, locomote, travel, move
Definition: change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
Usage: How fast does your new car go?; We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus; The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect; The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell; news travelled fast
Synonyms: play
Definition: cause to move or operate freely within a bounded space
Usage: The engine has a wheel that is playing in a rack
Definition: cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense
Usage: Move those boxes into the corner, please; I'm moving my money to another bank; The director moved more responsibilities onto his new assistant
Synonyms: play
Definition: 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
Definition: perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
Usage: think before you act; We must move quickly; The governor should act on the new energy bill; The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel
Synonyms: play
Definition: 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
Similar words: act
Definition: be engaged in an activity, often for no particular purpose other than pleasure
Synonyms: dally, toy, flirt, play
Definition: behave carelessly or indifferently
Usage: Play about with a young girl's affection
Definition: perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
Usage: think before you act; We must move quickly; The governor should act on the new energy bill; The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel
Synonyms: play
Definition: behave in a certain way
Usage: play safe; play it safe; play fair
Definition: perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
Usage: think before you act; We must move quickly; The governor should act on the new energy bill; The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel