sport 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sportnext
1
as in recreation
activity engaged in to amuse oneself I don't care terribly whether I actually catch any fish, as I'm just doing this for sport

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2
as in game
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously teasing that began in sport ended with some hateful words being exchanged

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3
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something taught their children that it was not polite to make sport of others

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4
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of had become the long-suffering sport of the village

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sport

2 of 2

verb

ˈspȯrt How to pronounce sport (audio)
1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement from sailing to snorkeling, each day we sported at a different activity offered by the beach resort

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2
as in to dance
to play and run about happily the millionaire's grandchildren sporting on the estate's spacious grounds

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3
as in to display
to present so as to invite notice or attention sported his flashy new car by driving it all over town

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sport differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sport are fun, game, jest, and play. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

When is fun a more appropriate choice than sport?

The synonyms fun and sport are sometimes interchangeable, but fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How are the words game and sport related?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

Where would jest be a reasonable alternative to sport?

The meanings of jest and sport largely overlap; however, jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When can play be used instead of sport?

In some situations, the words play and sport are roughly equivalent. However, play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sport
Noun
Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. —Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025 On Monday, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that aimed to ban transgender students from girls’ and women’s sports. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
Shout-out to Elon and DOGE team The world's richest person, Elon Musk, sported a suit and a blue tie (and noticeably no DOGE or MAGA merch) from his prime seat in the House gallery. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025 So the football lineman-esque No. 52 Crow-Armstrong sported during his 2024 rookie season inspired the smack talk from Hoyer while the 22-year-old shot hoops with Dansby Swanson and Nicky Lopez next to the complex’s agility field before the Cubs’ first full-squad workout Feb. 14. —Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sport
  1. recreation
  2. game
  3. ridicule
  4. joke
  5. play
  6. dance
  7. display
  8. relaxation
Noun
  • From April 12, 2024 – May 20, 2024 the air conditioning system failed across the entire Beaumont camp, affecting all housing units, education buildings, chow hall, recreation, and administration offices.
    — Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Mixing traditional doc methods with recreations and creepy genre-movie inflections, that film provided an unsettling exploration of sleep paralysis, a condition in which the mind is wide awake, but the body is frozen.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025
Definition of recreation
Noun
  • The Yankees won the World Series in six games, the last of their five consecutive World Series victories.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Reese has faced criticism for her interactions with Clark dating back to the 2023 NCAA women's basketball championship game, when Reese pointed to her finger mockingly after leading LSU to the title over Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes.
    — Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of game
Noun
  • Most South Africans are reacting to this with a mixture of disgust and ridicule.
    — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced ridicule on social media on Saturday night following the Canadians’ loss to the U.S. in a 4 Nations Face-Off game.
    — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2025
Definition of ridicule
Noun
  • After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.
    — Annie Aguiar, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2025
  • But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.
    — Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Also, Foley dealt with concussion symptoms and never played in the NHL.
    — Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic, 5 Mar. 2025
  • For a beauty brand that plays in both the fragrance and hair care arena, a hair perfume feels like a natural extension—after all, what many users associate with their favorite hair care products is, of course, a scent.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of play
Verb
  • Nonstop entertainment with live music and dancing all day long in our Biergarten and Clubhouse.
    — Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2025
  • There's always something to do in the city's diverse neighborhoods, from tango dancing to wandering the various markets or museums or escaping to nature for a quick day trip to a beach or national park. 7.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of dance
Verb
  • The event was inspired by the Korean pottery displayed in the museum’s Gerstner Collections Core.
    — Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Some proudly display the Israeli flag in their sanctuaries.
    — Yonat Shimron, NPR, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of display
Noun
  • Taking a birthing class, aromatherapy and relaxation breathing have all been touted to help women prepare for birth, and evidence suggests that exercising during pregnancy can also make for an easier delivery.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The local couple and wildlife enthusiasts offer both jungle-eco (departing daily at 11 a.m.) and relaxation cruises (departing daily at 5:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.) year-round.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025
Definition of relaxation

Phrases Containing sport

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Cite this Entry

“Sport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sport. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sport

Nglish: Translation of sport for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sport

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