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Screwball vs Playful - What's the difference?

screwball | playful |

As adjectives the difference between screwball and playful

is that screwball is (originally us) crazy, offbeat, bizarre, zany, or weird while playful is liking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive.

As a noun screwball

is (baseball) a pitch thrown with added pressure by the index finger and a twisting wrist motion resulting in a motion to the right when thrown by a right-handed pitcher.

screwball

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (baseball) A pitch thrown with added pressure by the index finger and a twisting wrist motion resulting in a motion to the right when thrown by a right-handed pitcher.
    • The screwball is not thrown much because it tends to damage pitcher's arms.
  • (US) One who behaves in a crazy manner.
    • I will not listen to this screwball any longer.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (originally US) Crazy, offbeat, bizarre, zany, or weird.
  • * 2013 , Tom Shone, Oscar nominations pull a surprise by showing some taste – but will it last?'' (in ''The Guardian , 11 January 2013)[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2013/jan/11/oscar-nominations-surprise-taste]
    • Also a big hand for Silver Linings Playbook , an exuberant modern screwball comedy we had, in an unseemly fit of cynicism, deemed "too entertaining" for Academy voters.

    Derived terms

    * screwball comedy

    playful

    English

    Alternative forms

    * playfull (archaic)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • liking play, prone to play frequently, such as a child or kitten; rather sportive.
    • Actually, we are pretty playful in our romantic life.
  • funny, humorous, jesting, frolicsome.
    • John is a playful fellow.
    A party hat is a playful conical hat people wear at parties.
  • fun, recreational, not serious.
    • A brainteaser is a playful puzzle posed as a test of intelligence.
  • experimental.
    • He was a rather playful artist.

    Derived terms

    * playfully * playfulness