toy
gb/tˈɔɪ/ us/tˈɔɪ/
A1
English
~ 2900
játék, játszik, játszik a gondolattal, játékszer, báb, miniatűr, apró termetű
NOUN
A1
1
játék
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] plays with [a toy]
The child hugged her favorite toy tightly.
A gyerek szorosan magához ölelte a kedvenc játékát.
We bought a new toy for the puppy.
Vettünk egy új játékot a kiskutyának.
That shop sells both books and toys.
His room was full of colorful toys.
The toy broke after just one day.
Learner examples
The baby has a small toy.
A babának van egy kis játéka.
I see a red toy on the table.
Látok egy piros játékot az asztalon.
She plays with her toy every day.
This toy is very soft.
He puts the toy in the box.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'toy' with 'game'; a toy is a physical object, while a game is an activity.
Meaning
Object for children to play with
Collocations
toy store
|toy car
|soft toy
|toy box
|toy industry
Synonyms
plaything (More formal or literary term for a toy.)
Antonyms
tool (A tool is used for work, not play.)
Themes
daily life
|childhood
|leisure
|daily_life
|education
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A thing made for children to play with.
An object designed primarily for children to play with, often made for entertainment or education.
VERB
B1
2
játszik
A1
Usage pattern:
to toy with [something]
She toyed with her necklace while listening.
A nyakláncával játszott, miközben figyelt.
He has been toying with the idea of moving abroad.
Már egy ideje játszik a gondolattal, hogy külföldre költözik.
Stop toying with your food and eat it.
They toyed with several designs before choosing one.
Learner examples
He toys with his pen in class.
Az órán a tollával játszik.
She toys with the idea of a trip.
Játszik a gondolattal, hogy elutazzon.
Don't toy with your food.
I toy with my keys when I wait.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'toy' here means playing like a child; in this sense it means handling or considering without seriousness.
Meaning
Handle something without seriousness
Collocations
toy with an idea
|toy with food
|toy with emotions
Synonyms
fiddle (Suggests idle or aimless handling of something.)
Antonyms
focus on (To give full attention and seriousness to something.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To touch or think about something without real purpose or plan.
To handle, consider, or play with something in a casual or unserious way.
NOUN
B2
3
He felt like a mere toy in her hands.
Úgy érezte, csak puszta játékszer a nő kezében.
The workers were political toys in the struggle between parties.
A munkások politikai bábok voltak a pártok közötti küzdelemben.
She refused to be anyone's toy.
Learner examples
He is not your toy.
Ő nem a te játékszered.
I am not a toy for you.
Nem vagyok a játékszered.
They are not political toys.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this figurative sense with the literal children's object meaning; context is key.
Meaning
Person or thing treated as plaything
Collocations
political toy
|mere toy
Synonyms
pawn (Implies being used as a tool in someone else's plan.)
Antonyms
controller (Someone who directs rather than is directed.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
Definition
A person or thing that someone uses for fun without caring about them.
A person or thing that is manipulated or used for someone else's amusement or advantage, often without care for their own needs.
B1
4
They have a toy poodle that weighs only 3 kilos.
Apró termetű uszkárjuk van, amely mindössze 3 kilót nyom.
He built a toy model of the Eiffel Tower.
Megépítette az Eiffel-torony miniatűr modelljét.
The village looked like a collection of toy houses from above.
Learner examples
This is a toy car.
Ez egy játékautó.
They have a toy dog.
Apró termetű kutyájuk van.
He makes toy models.
Meaning
Small and model-like version of something
Collocations
toy poodle
|toy car
Synonyms
miniature (A neutral term for a small-scale model or version.)
Antonyms
full-sized (The normal, large version of something.)
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Small and like a copy of something bigger.
Used to describe something small and imitative of a larger version, often for decorative or playful purposes.
Grammar
Dictionary form
toy
IPA
GB/tˈɔɪ/
US/tˈɔɪ/
Syllables & stress
toy (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (toy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: toy
- Plural: toys
Verb
- Base: toy
- 3rd Person Singular: toys
- Present Participle: toying
- Past: toyed
Word family
Forms
toys
noun
toying
verb
toyed
verb
Related words
plaything
noun
toymaker
noun
Expressions
toy around with
1/tˈɔɪ ɚˈaʊnd wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
informal
Experiment without seriousness
To try or use something in a playful or casual way, not seriously.
Examples
- We've been toying around with some new ideas for the project.
- He likes to toy around with old gadgets in his spare time.
toy with someone's emotions
1/tˈɔɪ wˈɪθ sˈʌmwˌʌnz ɪmˈoʊʃənz/
fixed phrase
Play with someone's feelings insincerely
To treat someone's feelings like a game, without care for them.
Examples
- He accused her of toying with his emotions.
- Don't toy with my emotions if you're not serious.
toy with the idea of
1/tˈɔɪ wˈɪθ ðə aɪdˈiə əv/
fixed phrase
Consider doing something casually
To think about doing something, but not seriously yet.
Examples
- She's toying with the idea of starting her own business.
- I've been toying with the idea of learning Spanish.