disport
Americanverb (used with object)
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to divert or amuse (oneself ).
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to display (oneself ) in a sportive manner.
The picnickers disported themselves merrily on the beach.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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(tr) to indulge (oneself) in pleasure
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(intr) to frolic or gambol
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disport
1275–1325; (v.) Middle English disporten, desporten < Anglo-French desporter, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + porter literally, to carry ( see port 5); (noun) Middle English < Anglo-French, derivative of the v.
Explanation
Visitors to an elementary school during recess may be surprised by the way the kids disport themselves. Disport means to play in a carefree way or to amuse yourself in a lighthearted fashion. To correctly pronounce disport, accent the second syllable: "dih-SPORT." It comes from the French word desporter, which means "to carry away" or "to entertain." Think of disport as what kids do when they have so much fun playing that they get carried away, forgetting all about school until the bell rings. You might disport yourself by frolicking at the beach with friends and enjoying lively conversation.
Vocabulary lists containing disport
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 11
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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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.
We don’t often wonder about the names of the places where we disport ourselves.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2022
Other than: may all would-be statesmen disport themselves with the casual larceny of a guy who knows if you don’t let the legal papers physically touch you, then they haven’t been served on you.
From The Guardian • Dec. 9, 2019
While elsewhere in town, van loads of tourists are being carted around to view houses once inhabited by movie stars gone and long forgotten, at San Vicente Bungalows the live ones disport themselves.
From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2019
They can enjoy the hot dry weather that followed a spring of relentless rain and fog here and disport themselves in public with an apparent ease that seems singularly Italian.
From New York Times • Jun. 25, 2012
People who do not love to disport in fashionable waters are apt to be severe upon those who spend their faculties upon the coquetries of bathing costume.
From English Lands Letters and Kings Queen Anne and the Georges by Mitchell, Donald G.
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.
