game
1 Americannoun
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games
plural
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an amusement or pastime.
children's games.
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the material or equipment used in playing certain games.
The store started selling toys and games.
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a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
Flag football is a game growing in popularity.
- Synonyms:
- competition, contest, sport
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a single occasion of such an activity, or a definite portion of one.
the final game of the season;
a rubber of three games at bridge.
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the number of points required to win a game.
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the score at a particular stage in a game.
With five minutes to play, the game was 7 to 0.
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a particular manner or style of playing a game.
Her game of chess is improving.
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anything resembling a game, as in requiring skill, endurance, or adherence to rules.
She's an expert at the game of diplomacy.
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a trick or strategy.
They can see through your game.
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something treated lightly or lacking in seriousness; sport.
That's enough of your games!
When I was young, love was just a game to me.
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wild animals, including birds and fishes, such as those hunted for food or taken for sport or profit.
The area is particularly rich in game.
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the flesh of such wild animals, used as food.
The cook made a dish of game.
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any object of pursuit, attack, abuse, etc..
The new boy at school seemed to be fair game for practical jokers.
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Informal. a business or profession.
He's in the real-estate game.
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Informal. the ability to attract or charm romantic or sexual partners.
He's got no game—hasn't had a date in months.
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Archaic. fighting spirit; pluck.
adjective
verb (used without object)
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games,
present (3rd person singular)
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gamed,
past participle, past
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gaming
present participle
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to play games of chance for stakes; gamble.
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Digital Technology. to play computer or video games.
verb (used with object)
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games,
present (3rd person singular)
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gamed,
past participle, past
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gaming
present participle
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to squander in games of chance (usually followed byaway ).
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to manipulate to one's advantage, especially by trickery; attempt to take advantage of.
The policy is flawed and many people try to game the system.
idioms
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off one’s game,
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Sports. playing badly.
You can tell the pitcher's off his game—he's walked three batters in a row.
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not performing as well as usual.
The showrunner and her writers are off their game, and episodes this season drag on without the humor and lightness fans had come to expect.
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play games, to act in an evasive, deceitful, manipulative, or trifling manner in dealing with others.
Don't play games with me—I want to know if you love me or not!
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play the game,
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to act or play in accordance with the rules.
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to act honorably or justly.
We naively assumed that our allies would continue to play the game.
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die game,
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to die after a brave struggle.
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to remain steadfast or in good spirits at the moment of defeat.
He knew that as a candidate he didn't have a chance in the world, but he campaigned anyway and died game.
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make game of, to make fun of; ridicule.
It's cruel to make game of the weak and defenseless.
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on one’s game,
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Sports. playing well.
You need to recruit experienced players who will be on their game coming straight off the bench.
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performing well, or as well as usual.
She’s been noticeably sharper and really on her game since she came back from vacation.
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talk a big / good game, to make exaggerated claims or promise extraordinary results.
The PR team talks a big game, but revenue for their department has been flat for three years running.
adjective
noun
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an amusement or pastime; diversion
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a contest with rules, the result being determined by skill, strength, or chance
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a single period of play in such a contest, sport, etc
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the score needed to win a contest
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a single contest in a series; match
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(plural; often capital) an event consisting of various sporting contests, esp in athletics
Olympic Games
Highland Games
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equipment needed for playing certain games
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short for computer game
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style or ability in playing a game
he is a keen player but his game is not good
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a scheme, proceeding, etc, practised like a game
the game of politics
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an activity undertaken in a spirit of levity; joke
marriage is just a game to him
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wild animals, including birds and fish, hunted for sport, food, or profit
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( as modifier )
game laws
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the flesh of such animals, used as food: generally taken not to include fish
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an object of pursuit; quarry; prey (esp in the phrase fair game )
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informal work or occupation
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informal a trick, strategy, or device
I can see through your little game
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obsolete pluck or courage; bravery
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slang prostitution (esp in the phrase on the game )
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to reveal one's intentions or a secret
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to make fun of; ridicule; mock
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playing badly
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playing well
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to behave fairly or in accordance with rules
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there is no longer a chance of success
adjective
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informal full of fighting spirit; plucky; brave
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informal extremely brave; indomitable
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informal (usually foll by for) prepared or ready; willing
I'm game for a try
verb
adjective
Usage
What does game mean? A game is an activity for amusement, particularly with rules that guide the action, like musical chairs. A game is also the materials needed to play certain games, such as a checkerboard and disks for playing checkers. A game is also a competitive activity, like football, or a single occasion of the activity. To game is to play computer or video games or to gamble. To game is used figuratively to mean to cheat or manipulate to one’s advantage. Example: I have never been to a game that was this slow and boring.
Synonym Usage
See play.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gamesimple
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gamessimple
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have gamedperfect
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has gamedperfect
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am gamingprogressive
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are gamingprogressive
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is gamingprogressive
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have been gamingperfect progressive
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has been gamingperfect progressive
Past
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gamedsimple
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had gamedperfect
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was gamingprogressive
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were gamingprogressive
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had been gamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of game1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun game, gam, gamme “joy; pleasure; sport; hunting,” Old English gaman, gomen; cognate with Old High German gaman “glee”
Origin of game2
First recorded in 1775–85; origin uncertain
Explanation
A game is a contest or pastime. Football, checkers, Monopoly, volleyball, Ms. Pacman — they're all fun games to play. Some games are simple, like Connect Four or Tic Tac Toe. Others are played for millions of dollars, like professional basketball. Games usually have winners and losers, and people play them because they're fun. Other meanings of this word have less to do with playing: If you're a salesperson, you could say you're in the sales game. Wild animals that you hunt and eat are called game. And being game can mean you have disabled feet or legs.
Vocabulary lists containing game
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Today has been the game where for the first time this season we showed we are a team," De Zerbi said.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
With one second left and the game almost being called by darkness, Palos Verdes kicker Niko Dragin attempted a 51-yard field goal that could have tied the score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Most recently, Trump administration officials considered a request from Major League Baseball to host a game at a national park, possibly Grand Teton in Wyoming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
It feels as though some fans are losing faith already, judging by the way they reacted at moments during the game, aside from the boos that accompanied the end of each half.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Last minute, but can I run Saturday’s game?
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Carrick's side are now winless in four league games and face an always tricky trip across the Pennines to face old rivals Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday, 18 October.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Despite being pressured nearly 70 times in four games, the seventh-year signal-caller remains supportive of his offensive line, especially the younger players.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
On the other, you have the Brewers, with the 17th-ranked payroll in baseball and a miraculous ability to win games without hitting home runs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
A fifth win in six league games put Mikel Arteta's side level on points with leaders Manchester City, but their title defence has certainly not been without its scares so far.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
I could have asked what books he liked to read, or if he played video games.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
And, if you’re a gamer but not a horror connoisseur, Nadira Goffe helpfully breaks down whether Resident Evil will be too scary for you, using Slate’s highly scientific Scaredy Scale.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
These days, you’re as likely to see a #cleanliving West Village girl clutching a can of rocket fuel as you are a BMX-mounted daredevil or a nocturnal gamer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"My initial reaction was one of confusion and shock," Ben, a UK-based 24-year-old gamer who covers GTA news on social media, told me following the announcement.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
A venue in Rotterdam turned itself over to fantasy dress-up and gamer fanaticism on the weekend, with thousands attending TwitchCon Europe.
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
With that and the day being kind of drizzly, nobody is out there except two gamer kids sitting on their raincoats stealthily playing Switch with their backs against the wall where teachers can’t see them.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
“He was one of the coolest, neatest, kindest, gamest horses I’ll ever have. When I saw him in there, my heart sank.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2017
Lots of good intentions and the gamest efforts of able leading actors, respectively Gary Oldman and Ed Harris, could not breathe life into those turkeys.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2010
Said Champion Tunney, ". . . one of the two gamest."
From Time Magazine Archive
Little Old Man Ledoux, gamest of the game.
From Time Magazine Archive
She’s the best girl in the world, and the gamest little sport.
From Lola by Owen Davis
Speaking ahead of the summit, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the deal as a "common-sense approach" and said she wants to ensure systems "can't be unfairly gamed".
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
But under a "worst-case scenario" gamed out by Eurasia Group, damage to Iran's oilfields permanently hits the country's exports, while the precarity to Hormuz traffic persists.
From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026
Traders themselves complain that they are sometimes gamed by insiders who know what will be said in advance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
However, SEC rules governing derivative-linked volatility could probably be gamed to a certain extent, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2025
Eisman didn’t know exactly how the rating agencies had been gamed.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
She also notes that the chillout room upstairs, all-gender bathrooms and gaming station are all special components of Trans*cendent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Another issue raised by the report was the inconsistent manner in which the four gaming platforms shared information and participated in industry initiatives.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
For South Korea, another gaming heavyweight, Park So-yeon became the first woman to represent their national team when she competed in Nagoya.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Monthly use is expected to continue to grow as streaming, gaming, video calls, cloud services and artificial intelligence become a bigger part of everyday life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Augustus and Isaac were sitting on the floor in gaming chairs shaped like lazy Ls, staring up at a gargantuan television.
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
