DictionaryAI

toy

TOY/tɔɪ/

Pluraltoys

Verbtoys, toying, toyed

20 meanings of toy

Practice

  1. 1
    for kids' playnouncountable
    An object made for children to play with, like a doll or a ball.

    Like a doll or a ball that a child plays with.

    The baby reached for her favorite toy on the rug.

    He kept all his toys in a wooden chest.

    Similarplaything

    Note
  2. 2
    play idlyverbintransitive
    To play with something in a lazy, half-interested way.

    Like pushing food around your plate without really eating it.

    I toy with my pen whenever I'm bored in class.

    He toyed with his keys while he waited for the bus.

    UsageSay toy with something, like a pen.

    Similarfiddle, play, trifle, dally

    Note
  3. 3
    think oververbintransitive
    To think about an idea or plan for a while without really deciding to do it.

    Like turning an idea over and over in your hands.

    He toyed with the idea of quitting his job last year.

    I sometimes toy with the idea of learning to fly a plane.

    UsageSay toy with the idea of doing something.

    Similarmull, muse, ponder, flirt

    Note
  4. 4
    sex aidnouneuphemisticabbreviationellipsis
    Short form of sex toy: an object people use for sexual pleasure.

    She bought a new toy at the adult store downtown.

    She hid the toy in her nightstand before her mom visited.

    Note
  5. 5
    worthless thingnouncountable
    A small thing that is not important or worth much.

    Like a small coin you wouldn't worry about losing.

    To a billionaire, a sports car is just a toy he barely notices buying.

    These trinkets were mere toys compared with what she really needed.

    UsageSay just a toy for something that does not matter much to someone.

    Similartrifle, bauble, plaything, trinket

    Note
  6. 6
    too smalladjectivebefore a noun
    Too small or too simple to be useful for real work.

    Like a plastic hammer that looks real but breaks the moment you use it.

    This is only a toy example, too simple for real data.

    The cheap drone was just a toy model, useless for real filming.

    Similarrudimentary, simplistic, trivial, flimsy

    Note
  7. 7
    small dognounabbreviationellipsis
    Short form of toy dog: a dog from a very small breed.

    At the dog show, the toys were judged before the big breeds.

    The little toy yapped whenever the doorbell rang.

    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of toy apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English 'toye', meaning fun or playful entertainment. It probably came from a Middle Dutch word for tools or ornaments, and is related to German 'Zeug' (stuff).

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts