言葉遊(ことばあそ)び

ことばあそび
noun
wordplay; word game; play on words
languageentertainment
1. wordplay; word game; play on words
Creative or humorous use of language for amusement, including puns, riddles, rhymes, and other linguistic games.
子供(こども)と言葉遊(ことばあそ)びをして楽(たの)しんだ。
I had fun playing word games with the children.
しりとりは日本(にほん)の代表的(だいひょうてき)な言葉遊(ことばあそ)びだ。
Shiritori is a representative Japanese word game.
落語(らくご)には巧(たく)みな言葉遊(ことばあそ)びがたくさん含(ふく)まれていて、聞(き)き取(と)るのが難(むずか)しいこともある。
Rakugo contains a lot of clever wordplay, which can sometimes be difficult to catch.

A compound of 言葉(ことば) (words) + 遊(あそ)び (play). Covers a wide range of linguistic play, from children's games like しりとり (word chain) and なぞなぞ (riddles) to sophisticated literary puns and 掛(か)け言葉(ことば) (double-meaning words) in poetry and comedy.

Common collocations

  • 言葉遊(ことばあそ)びをする — do wordplay, play word games
  • 言葉遊(ことばあそ)びが好(す)き — like wordplay
  • 巧(たく)みな言葉遊(ことばあそ)び — clever wordplay
  • 言葉遊(ことばあそ)びの本(ほん) — word game book

Similar words

  • 駄洒落(だじゃれ) — pun, bad joke; a specific type of wordplay, often groan-inducing
  • 掛(か)け言葉(ことば) — double entendre, pivot word; a classical rhetorical technique using words with double meanings
  • 地口(じぐち) — a type of pun based on similar-sounding phrases; more literary and traditional

Related Words

Compare: 駄洒落(だじゃれ) (pun, bad joke)
Compare: 早口言葉(はやくちことば) (tongue twister)
general
Added 2026.4.18 22:16 · Revised 2026.10.2 9:20
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