Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

sporty

American  
[spawr-tee, spohr-] / ˈspɔr ti, ˈspoʊr- /

adjective

Informal.
  • sportier,
    comparative
  • sportiest
    superlative
  1. flashy; showy.

  2. smart in dress, behavior, etc.

  3. like or befitting a sportsman.

  4. dissipated; fast.

    a sporty crowd.

  5. designed for or suitable for sport.


sporty British  
/ ˈspɔːtɪ /

adjective

  1. (of a person) fond of sport or outdoor activities

  2. (of clothes) having the appearance of sportswear

  3. (of a car) having the performance or appearance of a sports car

"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

noun

  1. informal a young person who typically wears sportswear, is competitive about sport , and takes an interest in his or her fitness

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

Etymology

Origin of sporty

First recorded in 1885–90; sport + -y 1

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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:

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

I’m very outdoorsy, I’m very sporty, so there’s a lot of things that I relate to from a design standpoint.

From Los Angeles Times May 14, 2026

Xiaomi, a maker of sporty sedans and SUVs, highlighted its hiring of European designers who worked at automakers such as Porsche and Lamborghini.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 24, 2026

The softness in Hassan's outfits contrasted with the sporty aesthetic that remains so prevalent in the industry.

From BBC Apr. 23, 2026

She saw no one on the path until near the entrance, where she passed four sporty guys wearing Santa hats and holding flashlights, starting up the trail marked in yellow.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Others posted AI-generated reworkings of the Luce's design, giving it a sportier look.

From BBC May 30, 2026

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

The Mach-E is also sportier around turns and generally more fun to drive.

From Seattle Times Sep. 13, 2023

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

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

Grid View The Max-Out is the sportiest concept, with a low-slung stance and an emphasis on speed and performance.

From The Verge Nov. 29, 2021

But COVID-19 does not care if you are the sportiest 84-year-old in Rochester, N.Y.

From Seattle Times Jun. 24, 2020

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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training