N. relief, deliverance, refreshment, # easement, softening, alleviation, mitigation, palliation, soothing, lullaby, solace, consolation, comfort, encouragement, lenitive, restorative, cushion, crumb of comfort, balm in gilead

V. relieve, ease, alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soothe, salve, soften, soften down, foment, stupe, poultice, assuage, allay, cheer, comfort, console, enliven, encourage, bear up, pat on the back, give comfort, set at ease, gladden the heart, cheer the heart, inspirit, invigorate, remedy, cure, refresh, pour balm into, pour oil on, smooth the ruffled brow of care, temper the wind to the shorn lamb, lay the flattering unction to one's soul, disburden, take a load off one's chest, get a load off one's chest, take off a load of care, be relieved, breathe more freely, draw a long breath, take comfort, dry the tears, dry the eyes, wipe the tears, wipe the eyes

Adj. relieving, consolatory, soothing, assuaging, assuasive, balmy, balsamic, lenitive, palliative, anodyne, curative

Phr. "here comes a man of comfort"

N. amusement, entertainment, recreation, fun, game, fun and games, diversion, divertissement, reaction, solace, pastime, passetemps, sport, labor of love, pleasure, relaxation, leisure, fun, frolic, merriment, jollity, joviality, jovialness, heyday, laughter, jocosity, jocoseness, drollery, buffoonery, tomfoolery, mummery, pleasantry, wit, quip, quirk, giggle, titter, snigger, snicker, crow, cheer, chuckle, shout, horse laugh, belly laugh, hearty laugh, guffaw, burst of laughter, fit of laughter, shout of laughter, roar of laughter, peal of laughter, cachinnation, kentish fire, tiger, play, game, game at romps, gambol, romp, prank, antic, rig, lark, spree, skylarking, vagary, monkey trick, gambade, fredaine, escapade, echappee, bout, espieglerie, practical joke, dance, hop, reel, rigadoon, saraband, hornpipe, bolero, ballroom dance, minuet, waltz, polka, fox trot, tango, samba, rhumba, twist, stroll, hustle, cha-cha, fandango, cancan, bayadere, breakdown, cake-walk, cornwallis, break dancing, nautch-girl, shindig*, skirtdance, stag dance, virginia reel, square dance, galop, galopade, jig, irish jig, fling, strathspey, allemande, gavot, gavotte, tarantella, mazurka, morisco|, morris dance, quadrille, country dance, folk dance, cotillon, sir roger de coverley, ballet, ball, bal, bal masque, bal costume, masquerade, terpsichore, festivity, merrymaking, party, blowout, hullabaloo, hoedown, bat*, bum*, bust*, clambake, donation party, fish fry, jamboree*, kantikoy, nautch, randy, squantum, tear *, turnerfest, yule log, fete, festival, gala, ridotto, revels, revelry, reveling, carnival, brawl, saturnalia, high jinks, feast, banquet, regale, symposium, wassail, carouse, carousal, jollification, junket, wake, irish wake, picnic, fete champetre, regatta, field day, treat, round of pleasures, dissipation, a short life and a merry one, racketing, holiday making, rejoicing, jubilee, bonfire, fireworks, feu-de-joie, firecracker, holiday, gala day, red letter day, play day, high days and holidays, high holiday, bank holiday, may day, derby day, saint monday, easter monday, whit monday, bairam, wayz-goos, bean feast, arbor day, declaration day, independence day, labor day, memorial day, thanksgiving day, mardi gras, mi-careme, feria, fiesta, place of amusement, theater, hall, concert room, ballroom, assemblyroom, music hall, park, plaisance, national park, national forest, state park, county park, city park, vest-pocket park, public park (public) 737a, arbor, garden, pleasure ground, playground, cricketground, croquet ground, archery ground, hunting ground, tennis court, racket court, bowling alley, green alley, croquet lawn, rink, glaciarum, skating rink, roundabout, merry-go-round, swing, montagne russe, game of chance, game of skill, athletic sports, gymnastics, archery, rifle shooting, tournament, pugilism, sports, horse racing, the turf, aquatics, skating, sliding, cricket, tennis, lawn tennis, hockey, football, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, rackets, fives, trap bat and ball, battledore and shuttlecock, la grace, pall-mall, tipcat, croquet, golf, curling, pallone, polo, water polo, tent pegging, tilting at the ring, quintain, greasy pole, quoits, horseshoes, discus, rounders, lacrosse, tobogganing, water polo, knurr and spell, leapfrog, hop skip and jump, mother may i, french and english, tug of war, blindman's bluff, hunt the slopper, hide and seek, kiss in the ring, snapdragon, cross questions and crooked answers, crisscross, hopscotch, jacks, jackstones, marbles, mumblety-peg, mumble-the-peg, pushball, shinney, shinny, tag &c. billiards, pool, pingpong, pyramids, bagatelle, bowls, skittles, ninepins, kain, american bowls, tenpins, tivoli, cards, card games, whist, rubber, round game, loo, cribbage, besique, euchre, drole, ecarte, picquet, allfours, quadrille, omber, reverse, pope joan, commit, boston, boaston, blackjack, twenty-one, vingtun, quinze, thirty-one, put, speculation, connections, brag, cassino, lottery, commerce, snip-snap-snoren, lift smoke, blind hookey, polish bank, earl of coventry, napoleon, patience, pairs, banker, blind poker, draw poker, straight poker, stud poker, bluff, bridge, bridge whist, lotto, monte, three-card monte, nap, penny-ante, poker, reversis, squeezers, old maid, fright, beggar-my-neighbor, baccarat, ace, king, queen, knave, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, trey, deuce, joker, trump, wild card, spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds, major suit, minor suit, bower, right bower, left bower, dummy, jackpot, deck, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full-house, four of a kind, royal flush, misere &c. chess, draughts, checkers, checquers, backgammon, dominos, merelles, nine men's morris, go bang, solitaire, game of fox and goose, monopoly, loto &c. scrabble, scribbage, boggle, crossword puzzle, hangman, morra, gambling, toy, plaything, bauble, doll, teetotum, knickknack, magic lantern, peep show, puppet show, raree show, gallanty show, toy shop, "quips and cranks and wanton wiles, nods and becks and wreathed smiles", entertainer, showman, showgirl, dancer, tap dancer, song-and-dance man, vaudeville act, singer, musician, sportsman, gamester, reveler, master of ceremonies, master of revels, pompom girl, arbiter elegantiarum, arbiter bibendi, archer, fan, toxophilite, turfman

V. amuse, entertain, divert, enliven, tickle the fancy, titillate, raise a smile, put in good humor, cause laughter, create laughter, occasion laughter, raise laughter, excite laughter, produce laughter, convulse with laughter, set the table in a roar, be the death of one, recreate, solace, cheer, rejoice, please, interest, treat, regale, amuse oneself, game, play a game, play pranks, play tricks, sport, disport, toy, wanton, revel, junket, feast, carouse, banquet, make merry, drown care, drive dull care away, frolic, gambol, frisk, romp, caper, dance, keep up the ball, run a rig, sow one's wild oats, have one's fling, take one's pleasure, paint the town red*, see life, desipere in loco, play the fool, make holiday, keep holiday, go a maying, while away the time, beguile the time, kill time, dally, smile, simper, smirk, grin, grin like a cheshire cat, mock, laugh in one's sleeve, laugh, laugh outright, giggle, titter, snigger, crow, snicker, chuckle, cackle, burst out, burst into a fit of laughter, shout, split, roar, shake one's sides, split one's sides, hold both one's sides, roar with laughter, die with laughter

Adj. amusing, entertaining, diverting, recreational, recreative, lusory, pleasant, laughable, witty, fun, festive, festal, jovial, jolly, jocund, roguish, rompish, playful, playful as a kitten, sportive, ludibrious|, funny, very funny, hilarious, uproarious, side-splitting, amused, "pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw", laughing, risible, ready to burst, ready to split, ready to die with laughter, convulsed with laughter, rolling in the aisles

Adv. "on the light fantastic toe", at play, in sport

Int. vive la bagatelle, vogue la galere, phr, deus nobis haec otia fecit, dum vivimus vivamus, dulce est desipere in loco, "(every room) hath blazed with lights and brayed with minstrelsy", misce stullitiam consiliis brevem