English verb: toy | |||
1. | toy (social) behave carelessly or indifferently | ||
Samples | Play about with a young girl's affection. | ||
Synonyms | dally, flirt, play | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s. Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, move | ||
Verb group | dally, play, trifle | ||
2. | toy (contact) manipulate manually or in one's mind or imagination | ||
Samples | She played nervously with her wedding ring. Don't fiddle with the screws. He played with the idea of running for the Senate. | ||
Synonyms | diddle, fiddle, play | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s PP | ||
Broader (hypernym) | manipulate | ||
Narrower (hyponym) | put out, retire | ||
3. | toy (body) engage in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously | ||
Samples | They played games on their opponents. Play the stock market. Play with her feelings. Toy with an idea. | ||
Synonyms | play | ||
Pattern of use | Somebody ----s something | ||
Broader (hypernym) | act, behave, do | ||