sportive

[ spawr-tiv, spohr- ]
/ ˈspɔr tɪv, ˈspoʊr- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sportive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

playful or frolicsome; jesting, jocose, or merry: a sportive puppy.
done in sport, rather than in earnest: a sportive show of affection.
pertaining to or of the nature of a sport or sports.
Biology. mutative.
Archaic. ardent; wanton.

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Origin of sportive

First recorded in 1580–90; sport + -ive

OTHER WORDS FROM sportive

Words nearby sportive

sporting chance, sporting chance, a, sporting dog, sporting house, sporting lady, sportive, sports, sports bar, sports bra, sports cap, sports car
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to sportive

boon, festive, frisky, frolicsome, game, jocular, merry, sprightly, wanton, gamesome, prankish

Example sentences from the Web for sportive

British Dictionary definitions for sportive

sportive
/ (ˈspɔːtɪv) /

adjective

playful or joyous
done in jest rather than seriously
of, relating to, or interested in sports
obsolete wanton or amorousa sportive wench

Derived forms of sportive

sportively, adverbsportiveness, noun
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