frolic

1 of 3

adjective

frol·​ic ˈfrä-lik 

: full of fun : merry

Contrasting the stern anxiety of his present mood with the frolic spirit of the preceding year …

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

frolic

2 of 3

verb

frolicked; frolicking

intransitive verb

1

: to amuse oneself : make merry

I didn't choose the school so I could frolic in the quad

—Hugh Gallagher

2

: to play and run about happily : romp

children frolicking in the park

frolicker noun

frolic

3 of 3

noun

1

: a playful or mischievous action

2

a

: an occasion or scene of fun : party

b

: fun, merriment

Did you know?

Frolic is a word rooted in pleasure. Its most common function today is as a verb meaning “to play and run about happily,” as in “children frolicking in the waves,” but it joined the language in the 16th century as an adjective carrying the meaning of its Dutch source vroolijk: “full of fun; merry.” Shakespeare’s Puck used it this way in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, saying “And we fairies … following darkness like a dream, now are frolic.” Verb use quickly followed, and by the early 17th century the word was also being used as a noun, as in “an evening of fun and frolic.”

Synonyms

Adjective

• bouncy
• bubbly
• buoyant
• crank [chiefly dialect]
• effervescent
• exuberant
• frolicsome
• gamesome
• gay
• high-spirited
• vivacious

Verb

• caper
• cavort
• disport
• frisk
• gambol
• lark
• rollick
• romp
• sport

Noun

• antic
• caper
• capriccio
• dido
• escapade
• gag
• jest
• knavery
• monkeyshine(s)
• practical joke
• prank
• rag [chiefly British]
• roguery
• shavie [Scottish]
• shine(s)
• trick
• waggery

Examples of frolic in a Sentence

Adjective

the frolic atmosphere that envelops New Orleans during Mardi Gras

Verb

We watched the seals as they frolicked in the harbor.

children frolicking in the yard

Noun

We went out for a frolic in the sun.

an evening of fun and frolic

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Pods of porpoises frolic, and a playful minke whale shimmers in the afternoon sun. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024

Parent heaven: a place to hang out under shade trees while the little ones frolic. —Sarah Shemkus, BostonGlobe.com, 21 June 2023

Verb

The two animals are seen frolicking together through a field in the clip. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024

On my most recent trip, I was enchanted by the sight of elephants bathing and frolicking in the river. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2024

Noun

There’s no shortage of fun things to do outside in Chicago during the chilly months, however there’s one activity that will prove to be super exciting for a date night, family adventure, or a friends’ frolic in the city. —Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

Never too busy to ride rollercoasters and frolic with school kids, the prince of Pyongyang also found time to take on a wife, Ri Sol-Ju, whom the New York Times compared to the British Duchess Kate Middleton. —Victor Cha, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2012

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Dutch vroolijk, from Middle Dutch vrolijc, from vro happy; akin to Old High German frō happy

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1548, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

frolic

1 of 2 verb

ˈfräl-ik

frolicked; frolicking

: to play about happily : romp

frolicker noun

frolic

2 of 2 noun

frol·​ic

1

: a playful or mischievous action

2

: a good time : fun