word play

"Word play" involves clever and creative manipulation of language to produce humorous or thought-provoking effects.

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ US Voice:
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ UK Voice:

Definition

B2Literature

(general)Clever or humorous use of language, often involving puns, double meanings, or other linguistic tricks.

Example

  • The comedian's routine was full of word play that had the audience laughing non-stop.

C1Rhetoric

(academic)Manipulation of words to create new or surprising meanings, often to entertain or emphasize a point.

Example

  • Shakespeare's plays are renowned for their sophisticated word play and wit.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "word play":

play aboutplay atplay onplay tofood playplay inlanguage gamespoken wordat playword timeplay withsex playmake a playhave words