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

“We sucked against this team,” he said pregame.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

When told of the injury update during his pregame news conference, Redick was not fazed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

In an indication this might not be a crisis after all, neither Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and Giants manager Tony Vitello was asked about it during their respective pregame interview sessions Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

One of Smith’s first jobs with the league was highlighting pregame looks on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

On a cool spring afternoon on a soccer field in northern Georgia, two teams of teenage boys were going through their pregame warm-ups.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John