What does frolicking mean?
Frolicking means playing or moving about in a lively, joyful, and unrestrained way. It is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'frolic', so it most often appears in continuous constructions — 'the puppies were frolicking on the lawn' — or as a noun naming the activity itself, as in 'an hour of frolicking before bedtime'. The word evokes carefree happiness and high spirits, which is why it clusters around images of spring lambs, dolphins, children, and sunlit holidays; it is a favourite of nature writers and travel journalists precisely because it paints motion and delight in a single stroke. Its tone is informal and affectionate rather than solemn, and it sits comfortably alongside kindred words such as cavorting, gamboling, and romping, each shading slightly differently: cavorting can suggest exuberant showing-off, while frolicking remains purely innocent fun. Borrowed into English in the sixteenth century from Dutch, whose related word 'vrolijk' simply means 'cheerful', it has kept that sunny disposition ever since. For anyone describing unselfconscious joy in motion, few English words do the job as vividly.
To play or move about in a lively, cheerful, and uninhibited way (with 'frolicking' being the present-participle form).
"The otters were frolicking in the river shallows all morning."
Almost always used in progressive ('were frolicking') rather than simple present constructions.
Lively, playful behaviour or an instance of it (the gerund form of 'frolic').
"Their frolicking in the waves could be heard from the boardwalk."
Before it meant play, 'frolic' meant madness — it came from a Dutch word whose root literally means 'happy', making frolicking one of English's cheerliest imports.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of frolicking
'Frolicking' derives from 'frolic', which entered English in the sixteenth century as both adjective and noun, borrowed from the Dutch adjective 'vrolijk', meaning 'cheerful' or 'merry'. The Dutch word traces further back to a Germanic root associated with gladness (compare modern German 'fröhlich'). Originally used to describe people of a merry disposition, 'frolic' developed its verb sense of playing boisterously by the late seventeenth century, and 'frolicking' followed as its participle and gerund.
Related word forms
How frolicking is actually used
The word carries warm, lighthearted connotations and is most at home in descriptive, informal, or literary prose — nature writing, travel pieces, and stories about animals or children. It rarely appears in formal or technical registers, where more neutral verbs like 'playing' would be preferred.
Easily confused with frolicking
'Frolicsome' is an adjective describing a person or animal with a naturally playful disposition, whereas 'frolicking' describes the actual activity of playing in a lively way.