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Synonyms

sporty

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

adjective

Informal.
sportier, sportiest

  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

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.

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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.

ED: Sporty edge was totally your style in college.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2025

Sporty M3gan looked like she was ready for tennis.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2023

Best known as: A Spice Girl — Sporty Spice, to be precise.

From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2021

Sporty wore the usual androgynous track suit but the others were a medley of sequins, rubber and hair extensions.

From The Guardian • May 24, 2019

"They're having a riot on the railroad," answered Sporty.

From The Short Line War by Merwin-Webster

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.