Play hooky means to skip school, work, or another duty without permission or a good excuse. It’s an informal phrase, especially common in American English.

Quick Scoop

You might hear it in sentences like:

  • “The kids played hooky and went to the concert.”
  • “I played hooky from work and went to the beach.”

In Plain English

If someone plays hooky , they’re basically ditching something they were supposed to attend. In UK English, the closest phrase is often “play truant”.

Example

“She played hooky from school to spend the day with friends.”

If you want, I can also give you the origin of the phrase or a few more casual synonyms.