Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

play the field

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.09 in modern English

Syllables: play the -field
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To cut one's losses by betting on every racehorse other than the crowd favorite.

British usage

verb

To have numerous romantic partners, without or before committing exclusively to one.

Example Sentences

"He says I'm the only one, but my friends say he's playing the field."
"I know you got charm and appeal / You always play the field / I'm crazy to think you're all mine"
"In a world where you can get a sexual partner faster than a pizza delivery, it has never been easier to play the field."
"But ostriches in breeding season are relentlessly promiscuous, with both males and females seeking liaisons with multiple partners. No doubt they have their reasons. But from an evolutionary perspective, playing the field is a way to get diverse DNA into as many nests as possible and compensate for the fact that most nests fail."

Usage

British usage

Inflected Forms

plays the field (present, singular) playing the field (participle, present) played the field (participle, past) played the field (past)

Questions

What does play the field mean?: To cut one's losses by betting on every racehorse other than the crowd favorite.

How to pronounce play the field

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “play the field”.
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