sport

[ spawrt ]

/ spɔrt /

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See synonyms for: sport / sported / sporter / sportest on Thesaurus.com

noun

an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

a particular form of this, especially in the out of doors.

sports, (used with a singular verb) such athletic activities collectively: Sports is important in my life.

diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

jest; fun; mirth; pleasantry: What he said in sport was taken seriously.

mockery; ridicule; derision: They made sport of him.

an object of derision; laughingstock.

something treated lightly or tossed about like a plaything.

something or someone subject to the whims or vicissitudes of fate, circumstances, etc.

a sportsman.

Informal. a person who behaves in a sportsmanlike, fair, or admirable manner; an accommodating person: He was a sport and took his defeat well.

Informal. a person who is interested in sports as an occasion for gambling; gambler.

Informal. a flashy person; one who wears showy clothes, affects smart manners, pursues pleasurable pastimes, or the like; a bon vivant.

Biology. an organism or part that shows an unusual or singular deviation from the normal or parent type; mutation.

Obsolete. amorous dalliance.

adjective Also sports .

of, relating to, or used in sports or a particular sport:sport fishing.

suitable for outdoor or informal wear: sport clothes.

verb (used without object)

to amuse oneself with some pleasant pastime or recreation.

to play, frolic, or gambol, as a child or an animal.

to engage in some open-air or athletic pastime or sport.

to trifle or treat lightly: to sport with another's emotions.

to mock, scoff, or tease: to sport at suburban life.

Biology. mutate (def. 4).

verb (used with object)

to pass (time) in amusement or sport.

to spend or squander lightly or recklessly (often followed by away).

Informal. to wear, display, carry, etc., especially with ostentation: Celebs are frequently seen sporting a wide array of designer handbags.

Archaic. to amuse (especially oneself).

OTHER WORDS FOR sport

1 game.

4 amusement, fun, entertainment.

19 romp, caper.

21 toy.

See synonyms for sport on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about sport

sport one's oak. oak (def. 5).

Origin of sport

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; aphetic variant of disport

synonym study for sport

4. See play.

OTHER WORDS FROM sport

sport·ful, adjectivesport·ful·ly, adverbsport·ful·ness, nounsport·less, adjective

out·sport, verb (used with object)un·sport·ed, adjectiveun·sport·ful, adjective

Words nearby sport

-sporous, Sporozoa, sporozoan, sporozoite, sporran, sport, sporter, sport fish, sportfisherman, sportfishing, sporting

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sport in a sentence

The hardest things to teach and evaluate online, instructors say, are the skills, strategies and collaboration involved in team sports.
Kids are shooting hoops with rolled up socks, but pandemic physical education is not canceled|Kelly Field|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
If kneeling during the anthem is injecting politics into sports, so is that request.
Mark Cuban had the right idea: It’s time to rethink how we use the national anthem|John Feinstein|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
All gatherings, including at sporting events, have been banned.
Novak Djokovic’s five-set battle at Australian Open started with fans and ended without them|Matt Bonesteel|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Hermetically sealing off sports from the rest of society isn’t a way to accomplish that.
The pregame national anthem — in all its roiling contradictions — still has something to offer|Barry Svrluga|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

Really, he was doing sports performance before sports performance became a high priority in college sports.
Jaguars’ Urban Meyer hires strength coach accused of mistreating players while at Iowa|Matt Bonesteel|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Cricket is a sport enjoyed by hundreds of millions around the globe, mainly in former British colonies.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he reaches a low point in his career, in 1997, he writes that he “even contemplated moving away from the sport completely.”
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sachin Tendulkar may be one of the most brilliant players in the sport, but he struggles to liven up his memoirs.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sport of surfing is a very sexy sport, beautiful people on beautiful beaches in minimal clothing.
Anastasia Ashley, Surfer-Cum-Model, Rides The Viral Internet Wave|James Joiner|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like I said, as a team we drew attention to the sport in a way no one ever has.
Tim Howard’s Wall of Intensity|William O’Connor|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many British Ferns evidence a marked tendency to “sport,” and this is a fact which the beginner should always bear in mind.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
He said something laughingly to the head guide to the effect that climbing was good sport and a fine test for the nerves.
Uncanny Tales|Various
Tiger-hunting, by the way, was considered great sport by Yung Pak's father.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike
The more enthusiastic among the audience, male and female, also sport the red cap of liberty.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
They had come down from the kraal to enjoy the sport and get some of the meat, of which they are particularly fond.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for sport

sport

/ (spɔːt) /

noun

an individual or group activity pursued for exercise or pleasure, often involving the testing of physical capabilities and taking the form of a competitive game such as football, tennis, etc

such activities considered collectively

any particular pastime indulged in for pleasure

the pleasure derived from a pastime, esp hunting, shooting, or fishingwe had good sport today

playful or good-humoured jokingto say a thing in sport

derisive mockery or the object of such mockeryto make sport of someone

someone or something that is controlled by external influencesthe sport of fate

informal (sometimes qualified by good, bad, etc) a person who reacts cheerfully in the face of adversity, esp a good loser

informal a person noted for being scrupulously fair and abiding by the rules of a game

informal a person who leads a merry existence, esp a gamblerhe's a bit of a sport

Australian and NZ informal a form of address used esp between males

biology

an animal or plant that differs conspicuously in one or more aspects from other organisms of the same species, usually because of a mutation
an anomalous characteristic of such an organism

verb

(tr) informal to wear or display in an ostentatious or proud mannershe was sporting a new hat

(intr) to skip about or frolic happily

to amuse (oneself), esp in outdoor physical recreation

(intr often foll by with) to dally or trifle (with)

(tr often foll by away) rare to squander (time or money)sporting one's life away

(intr often foll by with) archaic to make fun (of)

(intr) biology to produce or undergo a mutation

Derived forms of sport

sporter, nounsportful, adjectivesportfully, adverbsportfulness, noun

Word Origin for sport

C15 sporten, variant of disporten to disport

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sport

OTHER WORDS FOR sport

Idioms about sport

Origin of sport

synonym study for sport

OTHER WORDS FROM sport

Words nearby sport

Words related to sport

How to use sport in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sport

Derived forms of sport

Word Origin for sport