弄ぶ

もてあそぶ【弄ぶ】

1 〔持って遊ぶ〕 play 《cards》; amuse oneself 《with…》; take pleasure [delight] 《in…》; 〔いじくる〕 play [fiddle, twiddle] 《with fire》; toy 《with edged tools》.

●ネクタイに指をからめてもてあそぶ play one's necktie through one's fingers

・鉛筆をもてあそぶ toy with a pencil

・言葉をもてあそぶ play with words.

●彼女はテーブルのナプキン･リングをもてあそびながら話をした. She fiddled with the napkin ring on the table as she talked to me.

2 〔慰み物にする〕 sport [toy, trifle, fool] 《with…》; make sport [a plaything, a fool] 《of…》.

●人の気持ちをもてあそぶ play on sb's feelings

・女性の愛情をもてあそぶ play [dally] with a woman's affections

・女をもてあそぶ toy [trifle] with a woman

・男をもてあそぶ flirt with a man; twist [turn] a man round one's (little) finger

・男にもてあそばれる fall prey to a man's lust; be seduced by a man

・運命にもてあそばれる be the puppet [a plaything] of fate; be the sport of fortune

・波にもてあそばれる toss about in [be at the mercy of] the waves.