play on

aprovecharse de, explotar

Usar los miedos, las esperanzas o las debilidades de alguien para influir en esa persona.

En inglés sencillo: To use someone’s fears, hopes, or weaknesses to influence them.

• He played on her fears.
• These adverts play on our wish to look younger.
• Are you trying to play on my guilt?

Cómo se usa: play on someone’s feelings (The advert plays on parents’ fears.)

Sinónimos: exploit, take advantage of

Expresiones frecuentes: play on fears, play on someone’s guilt

seguir jugando, seguir tocando

Continuar jugando o interpretando música.

En inglés sencillo: To continue playing a game or making music.

• The band played on.
• Despite the rain, both teams played on.
• The referee told us to play on.

Sinónimos: keep playing, continue

Antónimos: stop

Expresiones frecuentes: play on quietly, play on despite something

hacer un juego de palabras con

Usar sonidos parecidos o distintos significados de las palabras para hacer una broma o causar un efecto.

En inglés sencillo: To use similar sounds or different meanings of words to make a joke or create an effect.

• The joke plays on two meanings of “light”.
• Her slogan played on the company’s name.
• This poem plays on words that sound alike.

Cómo se usa: play on something (The title plays on the word “spring”.)

Sinónimos: make a pun on

Expresiones frecuentes: play on words, play on a name

atormentar, inquietar

Seguir preocupando a alguien o haciéndole sentir culpable.

En inglés sencillo: To keep troubling someone’s thoughts or making them feel guilty.

• The mistake played on my mind.
• Her lie has been playing on her conscience for weeks.
• Does that memory still play on your mind?

Cómo se usa: play on someone’s mind/conscience (The unanswered question played on his mind.)

Sinónimos: weigh on, trouble, haunt

Expresiones frecuentes: play on someone’s mind, play on someone’s conscience

habilitar

Estar en una posición que permite que un rival no quede en fuera de juego.

En inglés sencillo: To stand where your position keeps an opposing player within the rules rather than offside.

• The defender played him on.
• Your position played their striker on when the pass was made.
• Who played the attacker on before that goal?

Cómo se usa: play someone on (The last defender played the striker on.)

Sinónimos: keep onside

Expresiones frecuentes: play someone on, play the striker on

retomar, volver sobre

Volver repetidamente a una misma idea o tema al escribir o hablar.

En inglés sencillo: To return repeatedly to a particular idea or theme in writing or speech.

• The poem plays on the theme of loneliness.
• His speech played on the idea of national unity.
• Several chapters play on the conflict between duty and desire.

Cómo se usa: play on a theme/idea (The novel plays on the idea of lost identity.)

Sinónimos: return to, revisit

Expresiones frecuentes: play on a theme, play on an idea