Phrase guide

play with fire

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • I'm telling you, if you sign that paper, you're playing with fire.
  • Play with fire and you get burned.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: لَعِبَ بِالنَّار (laʕiba bi-n-nār) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Belarusian: гуляць з агнём (huljacʹ z ahnjóm) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 玩火 (wánhuǒ) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 引火燒身 /引火烧身 (yǐnhuǒshāoshēn) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Czech: hrát si s ohněm — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Danish: lege med ilden — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Dutch: met vuur spelen — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Finnish: leikkiä tulella — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • French: jouer avec le feu — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • German: mit dem Feuer spielen — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • German: mitem füür spile — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • German: zöisle — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Greek: παίζω με τη φωτιά (paízo me ti fotiá) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Hebrew: שִׂחֵק בְּאֵשׁ (siẖéq beésh) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Hindi: आग से खेलना (āg se khelnā) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Hungarian: tűzzel játszik — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Italian: giocare con il fuoco — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Japanese: 火遊びをする (hiasobi o suru) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Korean: 불장난하다 (buljangnanhada) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Norwegian: leke med ild — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Polish: bawić się zapałkami — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Polish: igrać z ogniem — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Portuguese: brincar com fogo — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Portuguese: brincar com o fogo — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Romanian: a se juca cu focul — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Russian: игра́ть с огнём (igrátʹ s ognjóm) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Spanish: jugar con fuego — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Swedish: leka med elden — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Tagalog: makipaglaro ng apoy — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Telugu: నిప్పుతో చెలగాటం (nipputō celagāṭaṁ) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Ukrainian: грати з вогнем (hraty z vohnem) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Ukrainian: бавитися з вогнем (bavytysja z vohnem) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Ukrainian: жартувати з вогнем (žartuvaty z vohnem) — put oneself in a precarious situation
  • Urdu: آگ سے کھیلنا (āg se khelnā) — put oneself in a precarious situation