a game played with rackets and a shuttlecock, which is hit back and forth across a high net
Also called: badminton cup. a long refreshing drink of claret with soda water and sugar
What is badminton? Badminton is a sport in which light rackets are used to volley an object—called a shuttlecock, shuttle, birdie, or bird—back and forth over a high net. Unlike other similar sports, such as tennis, badminton is not played with a ball—the shuttlecock is a kind of feathered cone with a cork head. (A shuttlecock is also used in the related sport of battledore). Competitive badminton, which is featured as an event in the Olympic Games, is played on an indoor court and can consist of one-on-one play or doubles. The rules of badminton are similar to those of other sports that use nets, like tennis and volleyball: if a player hits the shuttlecock out of bounds or lets it touch the ground on their side of the court, their opponent(s) get a point. Badminton is also played recreationally, often as a casual yard game with multiplayer teams (less casual if Uncle Tahir is on your team). Example: You’ll see some lightning-quick reflexes in Olympic-level badminton.
First recorded in 1835–45; named after Badminton, the country seat of the duke of Beaufort in Gloucestershire, England
Badminton is a racket sport like tennis, but instead of a ball, a funny looking feathered thing called a shuttlecock is whacked over the net. It’s best played on a lawn after brunch, while wearing white. This racket game, which dates to the 19th century, is named after the Duke of Beaufort's country estate. It’s the kind of game you’d play on a country estate while the children frolic, but it can also be very competitive — it’s been an Olympic sport since 1992. Badminton rackets are light with long handles, and the shuttlecock is hit back and forth like a ball. Like tennis, you can play singles (one on one) or doubles (two on two).
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“In Vietnam, there’s pickleball courts all over the place. China is growing because their badminton courts can fit pickleball too.”
From MarketWatch ● May 1, 2026
Nearby, a man fanned skewers sizzling on a barbecue grill while a couple played badminton and retirees sang cheerfully on a park bench.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
Fans can engage with everything from major events like March Madness to niche sports like badminton, making competitions more compelling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
Mair and Alan Hicks, from Swansea, are this year celebrating their 65th year of marriage after joining the same badminton club in the 1950s.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
The luxurious stone villa had balconies overlooking the sea, a badminton court, and a swimming pool with a retractable glass roof.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Badminton player Susan Egelstaff, who competed at the 2012 Olympics in London and is a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, told BBC Scotland the benefits to society were "huge".
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
He was a fellow badminton player who encouraged her to travel the world competing in the sport, for which she earned more than 200 medals and induction into the USA Badminton Hall of Fame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2025
Little says that he’s suing now because his subsequent dismissal by USA Badminton has cost his firm upwards of $100,000 in fees, and damaged his reputation among prospective clients.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2025
“I started badminton at age 7, at my choice,” she told the Badminton World Federation in 2020.
From New York Times ● May 8, 2024
We were doing our Net Sports Unit, which meant two weeks of Badminton, two weeks of Ping-Pong/Table Tennis, and the grande finale: two weeks of Volleyball.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
