sporty
Americanadjective
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sportier,
comparative
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sportiest
superlative
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flashy; showy.
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smart in dress, behavior, etc.
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like or befitting a sportsman.
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dissipated; fast.
a sporty crowd.
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designed for or suitable for sport.
adjective
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(of a person) fond of sport or outdoor activities
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(of clothes) having the appearance of sportswear
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(of a car) having the performance or appearance of a sports car
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of sporty
Explanation
Look down. Are you wearing sneakers? Ready to kick a ball, shoot some hoops, or go watch a game? If so, you’re sporty! Sporty things are related to athletics. You are sporty if you love sports, dress like you love sports, or behave like a good sport by saying “good game” even when you lose. Sporty can also describe something fast and flashy, like a sporty red convertible. The oldest recorded meaning of sporty is "sportsmanlike," from the late nineteenth century.
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.
See Examples For:
While it’s definitely sporty, Spohn has carefully curated Swordplay LA’s atmosphere to be about storytelling — acknowledging the books, TV and films that inspire the club’s clientele.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
At 15 he decided he wanted something fun, so he paid $3,000 for a 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24—a sporty version of Chevy’s boxy compact car.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Wearing a life vest that showcased his toned arms, Macron cut a sporty figure as he vacationed at the Bregancon Fort, the presidential retreat, during France's August summer break.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Like Adam, Matthew had been very sporty and regularly played football and golf.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
His hair was smoothed to perfection, his canvas shoes a chaste white, and he looked sporty in his linen knickers, his belted coat with a boutonniere of Queen Anne’s Lace, and his ribbed, knee-length hose.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
What I can say is that this EV sails along smoothly and quietly while somehow feeling sportier than my Mustang Mach-E or the Tesla Model Y I tested a few years back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
They added that the power upgrades would allow customers to opt for a "sportier" driving experience at any time, "rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025
Picture going for a whirl in a swiveling office chair—or, if you’d prefer a sportier option, popping on a pair of ice skates and taking a spin.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 19, 2022
Handling is on par with sportier competitors thanks to balanced steering and controlled body motions.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2022
The bra was sportier than any I'd ever had, but it was cute anyway.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
"Our truck is the sportiest truck you are going to see," he said.
From Reuters ● Aug. 4, 2023
Porsche — the top of the range, sportiest cars — belong to the brand.
From The Verge ● Jan. 18, 2022
But the sportiest trim in the Camry lineup is the TRD.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2021
Somehow, all of that and less had become the middle weekend of March in America’s sportiest downtown, amid a state so in love with basketball that it ought to be round.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2020
“This is definitely a first for me. The sportiest thing I’ve ever done is run after the bus,” Juanga says as he ties his shoelace.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
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.
