spectator sport
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of spectator sport
First recorded in 1940–45
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.
Those initiatives had a good foundation to build on since soccer is Canada’s most popular sport in terms of registration and participation and ranks behind only hockey as a spectator sport.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
As a venture investor, Parillo developed a thesis on trading competitions becoming a spectator sport long before he participated in one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
According to The Official Monster Raving Loony Party website other policies include Wellingborough Golf Club being developed into an intergalactic space port and fishing made a spectator sport by introducing piranha into the River Nene.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2024
For the last three decades, badminton has been a competitive Olympic sport, and with "bird" speeds topping 300 mph in "smash" shots, it certainly makes for exciting spectator sport.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2024
I wondered if I should have brought along my boyfriend to make the experience feel more real or important, but I hadn't expected it to be a spectator sport.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
