toyfuladj.
/ˈtɔɪf(ᵿ)l/, U.S. /ˈtɔɪf(ə)l/ Somewhat rare.
Full of, inclined to, or characterized by amusement or fun; playful, light-hearted.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > playfulness > [adjective]
gamingOE
playfulc1225
gamefulc1275
gamelya1350
gamesomea1375
playable?c1475
frisky?a1500
sporting1549
sportful1577
toyish1577
toyful1580
sportive1593
gambol1600
sportly1600
sporting1607
playsome1612
jiggish1635
toysome1638
ludible1656
ludibund1668
good-humoured1682
flippant1711
lusory1711
gamp1737
kittenish1753
sportable1767
disportive1773
whisky1782
playward1878
society > leisure > the arts > literature > a written composition > [adjective] > light or amusing
toyful1580
1580 Sir P. Sidney Let. 18 Oct. in Corr. (2012) II. 1009 My toyfull Booke I will send with Gods helpe by February.
a1631 J. Donne Poems (1633) 24 It quickned next a toyfull Ape.
1744 J. Armstrong Art of preserving Health ii. 42 When Favonius, flush'd with love, Toyful and young, in every breeze descends.
1864 Daily News 17 May 3/2 There certainly was no lack of sportive sharpness and toyful petulance on her part to complete the character.
1913 H. Drane Madison Hood vi. 117 She was swinging her hat in her hand in a nonchalant, toyful fashion.
2017 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 3 Mar. (N. Ireland First ed.) This toyful mockumentary plays on the conspiracy theory that the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing was faked by NASA.
Derivatives
ˈtoyfulness n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > playfulness > [noun]
sportfulnessa1586
sportiveness1601
frolicknessa1617
gamesomeness1631
ludibundness1664
playfulness1673
playsomeness1676
friskiness1727
sportability1768
coquetry1794
toyfulness1838
larkiness1896
kittenishness1905
1838 J. Banks Dict. Eng. & Russ. Langs. II. 462/1 Toyfulness игривость.
a1859 T. De Quincey Posthumous Wks. (1893) II. 24 The playfulness and..the toyfulness (if we may invent that word) of childhood.
2011 Evening Herald (Plymouth) (Nexis) 4 Mar. 22 Even a mediocre production of this operetta is buoyed by the toyfulness and infectious good humour Gilbert and Sullivan poured into it.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2021; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.1580