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View synonyms for

horseplay

[hawrs-pley]

noun

  1. rough or boisterous play or pranks.



horseplay

/ ˈɔːˌɪ /

noun

  1. rough, boisterous, or rowdy play

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • horseplayful adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of horseplay1

First recorded in 1580–90; horse + play
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Cartoonish horseplay would have gotten a hardier laugh.

From

Fortunately, Wilson and Mandvi are adept enough comics not to fall into that trap even as they avoid the equally damaging peril of too much audience-pandering horseplay.

From

The horseplay this entails, though gamely performed, grows dizzying.

From

“It was kids being kids. Nobody was punching anyone. It wasn’t even wrestling. It was horseplay,” the parent said.

From

Video of the horseplay prompted a good deal of online hilarity, with even the transportation department getting into the snarky act.

From

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When To Use

doeshorseplay mean?

Horseplay is play that is physically rough or rowdy, such as kids wrestling around on the ground or splashing around and climbing on each other in a pool.Horseplay usually involves kids, and the word is usually used by adults telling them to knock it off because someone could get hurt or something could get broken. Horseplay isn’t typically intended to cause anyone harm—it’s usually just physical play that’s supposed to be fun. However, the word is typically used to refer to activity that’s perhaps a bit too rough.The word roughhousing can mean the same thing. Terms like hijinks, shenanigans, tomfoolery, and fooling around are used in similar ways, but while horseplay often involves pranks or silliness, the word always implies a physical aspect.The informal verb phrase horse around means to engage in horseplay.Horseplay actually has an adjective form that’s not commonly used but should be: horseplayful.Example: No horseplay in the dining room! I don’t want anything getting broken!

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