playing around
Not being serious
Playing around means engaging in activity without serious purpose—goofing off, experimenting casually, or amusing oneself: Stop playing around and get to work, I've been playing around with watercolors.
It can also mean having casual sexual relationships outside a committed one: She found out he'd been playing around.
Lighthearted playful movement
- rompPlayful, spirited activity
- gambolPlayful leaping about
- carefreeFree from anxiety
- whimsicalPlayfully fanciful or erratic
cheerful · merriment · gaiety · spirited · buoyant · gleeful · joyful · exuberant
Playful, mild ridicule
- ribbingAffectionate verbal teasing
- joshingPlayful mocking
- banterPlayful, teasing exchange
- jestingPlayful, unserious speech
kidding · roasting · mocking · horseplay · pranking · clowning · antics · silliness
Refreshment through leisure
- leisureFree time for relaxation
- funAmusement or pleasure
- amusementPleased entertainment state
- diversionRedirection of attention
entertainment · relaxation · enjoyment · pastime · hobby · downtime · goofing off · killing time
Casual, unskilled adjusting
- trial and errorLearning through repeated attempts
- prototypingMaking preliminary models
- testingExamining to evaluate
- iterationRepeated procedural pass
exploring · fiddling · improvising · tweaking · hacking · mucking about · trying out · noodling
frolic
Lighthearted playful movement
whimsical · cheerful · merriment · gaiety · spirited · buoyant · gleeful · joyful · exuberant · blithe
teasing
Playful, mild ridicule
jesting · kidding · roasting · mocking · horseplay · pranking · clowning · antics · silliness · mischief
recreation
Refreshment through leisure
diversion · entertainment · relaxation · enjoyment · pastime · hobby · downtime · goofing off · killing time · unwinding
tinkering
Casual, unskilled adjusting
- trial and errorLearning through repeated attempts
- prototypingMaking preliminary models
- testingExamining to evaluate
iteration · exploring · fiddling · improvising · tweaking · hacking · mucking about · trying out · noodling · toying with
dalliance
Brief, casual romance
- coquetryPlayful amorous behavior
- seductionEnticing someone romantically
- charmAttractive personal quality
banter · courtship · wooing · suggestive · innuendo · flirtatious · coyness · teasing · advances · come-on
- tinkeringfiddling, puttering, pottering, tweaking, dabbling
- messing aroundfooling, goofing, goofing off, messing with, monkeying
- horseplayroughhousing, hijinks, antics, horseplay, high jinks
- infidelityadultery, affair, adulteress, cheating, cheater
- promiscuitypromiscuity, casual sex, hookups, one-night stands, bed-hopping
- betrayalbackstab, betray, betrayal, traitor, backstabber
playing aroundworking
In active function
getting down to business · studying · focusing · concentrating · buckling down
play, around, player, playful, playing, played, players, playfully, playtime