Games and Toys: English Vocabulary List

a small cube used in games of chance with six sides each having one to six spots representing numbers

"Roll the dice."

"He rolled the dice hoping for a six because landing on that space would allow him to move ahead and win the board game."

a strategic two-player board game where players move pieces with different abilities across a board with the objective of capturing the opponent's king

"Chess is strategic."

"He enjoys chess because it requires patience and careful planning."

a puzzle game in which one writes the answers to the clues in numbered boxes

"The crossword is hard."

"She solved the daily crossword puzzle in under ten minutes impressing her family with her extensive vocabulary and general knowledge of trivia."

a small toy house often containing tiny furniture and small dolls as well

"The dollhouse is tiny."

"The children spent hours arranging miniature furniture inside the dollhouse creating different scenes as if the tiny dolls were living real lives."

a game that needs a lot of thinking in order to be finished or done

"The puzzle is difficult."

"The jigsaw puzzle had one thousand pieces and took the family an entire rainy weekend to complete showing a beautiful landscape of a mountain lake."

a game designed to be played on a computer

"The computer game is fun."

"He played a computer game for an hour after finishing his homework."

a game also called tennis, played by two or four players who aim to hit a small plastic ball back and forth on a table across a net placed in the middle using special bats

"We play Ping-Pong every weekend with friends."

"Ping pong improves hand eye coordination and reflexes because the ball travels very fast across the table giving players split seconds to react."

a thin and small rubber bag with a hole into which air is blown and is used as a toy or decoration

"The red balloon flew high in sky."

"The balloon floated up into the sky until it became a tiny speck disappearing entirely when a gust of wind carried it behind a cloud."

providing enjoyment or laughter

"The story is amusing."

"The amusing story about the cat made everyone at the dinner table laugh out loud."

a duration of time at school when children are free to exit their classroom and spend their time playing outside

"Children enjoy playtime during school break."

"Dogs need regular playtime to burn off excess energy otherwise they become destructive chewing furniture and barking excessively from boredom and frustration."

a game in which small pointy objects are thrown at a board to achieve points

"He plays darts very well with friends."

"He threw the dart too hard causing it to bounce off the dartboard and land on the floor barely missing his own foot."

a game for children in which one player closes or covers their eyes while others hide and then try to find where they are

"Kids played hide-and-seek in big garden."

"The children played hide and seek in the dark house using flashlights to find each other hiding behind furniture under beds and inside closets."

a chess move that makes the opponent's king unable to escape, which means that opponent has lost

"He said checkmate and won chess game."

"The grandmaster announced checkmate after moving his rook forcing his opponent king into a position where no escape was possible from the attack."

an electronic device on which video games can be played

"My brother plays video game console daily."

"The new video game console sold out within hours of its release as fans waited in line overnight for a chance to buy one."

the result of a game in which players or teams have even scores

"The game ended in a tie."

"After a thrilling match, the final score resulted in an unexpected tie."

(of two players or teams) to finish a game or competition with even scores

"They tie the game."

"The determined athletes managed to tie the score in the final minutes of the championship."

to win or gain an advantage in a game, competition, etc. by breaking rules or acting unfairly

"You cannot cheat in chess."

"It is unethical for competitors to cheat by using performance-enhancing substances."

to use one's turn in a game

"It is your turn to go."

"The strategy guide advised players to go first in order to gain an early advantage."

the time when someone has the opportunity, obligation, or right to do a certain thing that everyone in a group does one after the other

"It is my turn now."

"Please wait for your turn to speak during the important board meeting."

an activity that is done for fun, mostly by children

"Children love to play."

"The simple joy of outdoor play is essential for a child's development and well-being."

describing a team, person, or thing that wins or has won a game or race

"A winning smile."

"The team had a winning season and celebrated their championship victory with a large parade through the streets of their hometown."

an act performed to amuse people who might consider it magical

"The magician's trick amazed."

"He used a trick to make the magician's move look easier."

a change made by a player in the position of a piece in a board game

"It is your turn to move in chess."

"He carefully considered every move in the chess match anticipating his opponent responses several steps ahead based on common opening strategies."

to give out playing cards to all the players in a game

"Deal the cards now."

"The dealer will now deal each player five cards to begin the game of poker."

instructions or guidelines that determine how a game or sport is played

"Follow the game rule."

"The first rule of the competition is that all work must be original because plagiarism results in immediate disqualification without any exceptions or appeals."

a sport or game in which a player rolls a ball down a lane with the aim of knocking over as many pins as possible at the other end of the lane

"Bowling is fun."

"We went bowling on Friday night and had a great time."

a game in which a player is required to make a number of guesses in order to find the right answer

"Children love playing guessing game together."

"The guessing game required players to ask yes or no questions to identify the secret object hidden inside the box without seeing it."

providing entertainment or amusement

"The party was fun."

"The children found the magic show incredibly fun and engaging."

a diamond shape frame covered with a paper or cloth with a string attached to it that can fly in the wind

"The children flew a kite in the park."

"He launched his kite into the strong wind watching it soar higher than the trees until the string slipped from his hand and the kite flew away."

any of the 52 stiff rectangular pieces of paper that are each characterized by their signs and numbers or pictures on one side, used in playing different card games

"Play your card."

"He carefully chose which card to play next, strategizing to win the trick in the card game."