pregame

American  

[pree-geym] / ˈpriˌgeɪm /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or happening in the period just before a sports game.

   The coach was interviewed in a pregame broadcast.

2. noting or relating to the consumption of liquor before attending a party or other event.

   pregame drinking.

---

noun

1. an event or broadcast relating to and occurring just before a sports game.

   Thirty people attended the pregame.

verb (used with or without object)

pregamed, pregaming

1. to drink liquor before going to (a party, game, or other event).

   We pregamed at my house to save some money.

Etymology

Origin of pregame

First recorded in 1910–15; pre- + game ¹

Example Sentences

These are highly stylized, high-stakes pregame outfits that many professional athletes wear when arriving at the stadium or arena, capitalizing on the opportunity to get seen on their own terms.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

My pregame ritual became a curious thing for Ernie.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Auriemma confronted Staley over a perceived pregame handshake slight and also criticized officials for foul calls during the game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

They arrived silently at the end of the pregame ceremony, carefully held by two of the men who helped win them, lifted high for all those who so passionately longed for them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

I began to run through my pregame ritual.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline