FROLICSOME Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

frolicsome

adjective

ˈfrä-lik-səm

Definition of frolicsome

as in playful

given to good-natured joking or teasing a frolicsome uncle who was a favorite among his relatives

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in joyful

joyously unrestrained teachers smiling at the frolicsome students leaving school for summer vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of frolicsome The comedy is still the thing in this frolicsome outdoor production, which takes place in the charming ambiance of the festival’s portable, mini-Elizabethan venue. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 These wall drawings—at the Colby College Museum of Art in Waterville, Maine, in 2024; the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2025; and Houston’s Menil Collection, in 2025—were all temporary, like frolicsome mirages. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 The vitality of her language, its frolicsome dance with personification, communicates its own resistance in the face of an indifferent world, exploited by imperialist greed and barbaric, militant might. — Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026 The show starts frolicsome and then morphs into a farce that grows more than a little hellish, NPR critic John Powers writes. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 May 2026 On April 4, Ogden will take part in the frolicsome, 100 percent amateur Nordic X race at the tiny Cochran’s Ski Area in Vermont. — Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for frolicsome

Adjective

In a Harris Poll survey published Wednesday, 65% of American adults reported spending $100 or more on playful activities or products — such as craft kits or action figures — for personal enjoyment between June 2025 and June 2026.

— Renée Onque, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
For Grande, whose ponytail has long been as recognizable as her voice, the new look is a playful departure that still stays true to her vibe.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of playful

Adjective

The three other members of Uppity are bubbly, guileless, and joyful to an extent that’s unique at any age, but especially rare in adulthood.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
No facial expression or vocal inflection can be read simply; the performance is at its most heartbreaking when at its most joyful.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of joyful

Adjective

Fashion brands have been experimenting with livelier and more unconventional footwear designs in general lately, and that means interesting uses of color.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
No changes to the dinos, but the lighting overall felt more lively and theatrical.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

That’s a possible silver lining if the AI bubble bursts—that the assets financed by irrationally exuberant investors end up reshaping the economy for the better.

— Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
That obsession reached its peak of exuberant absurdity on a Friday in late July of 1995.

— Adam Sztykiel, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of exuberant

Adjective

With two separate houses, a rushing creek running through the grounds, and a sauna and a cedar barrel hot tub beside the water, the sprawling estate gave our group a place to gather (or rather, frolic) between outings.

— Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, a man and woman wearing masks approached a man at a sprawling park in an East Bay suburb where children gather to play baseball and soccer and frolic on the playground.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of frolic

Adjective

Tatyana and Jan’s salsa is full to the brim with salsa content, and yet the judges ding it for not being fast and vivacious enough, even though Jan’s choreography — some of my favorite of the night — was built around the song they were assigned.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
In a poetic blend of reality and imagination, a vivacious Brooklyn teenager strives to reclaim her own fleeting childhood while helping raise her four younger sisters.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of vivacious

Adjective

During a recent visit to the brand's Bryant Park showroom, the energy was effervescent as Arons and her team walked us through the latest offering from the brand -- including the smash collab.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Summer may be over, but its effervescent joy has carried over into the street style trends outside the recent spring 2027 shows despite the cooler days.

— Irene Kim, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of effervescent

Adjective

Her portrayal is buoyant and curious, both attuned to and alienated from Mi-ok’s hopes and desires, whether emotional or erotic or material.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
The story is told from the perspective of infant twins with divergent personalities—Rose is unguardedly buoyant, whereas Marigold is watchful and introspective.

— Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Browse Nearby Words

frolics

frolicsome

from

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Frolicsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frolicsome. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of frolicsome

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes