athlete

noun

ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt 

nonstandard

ˈa-thə-ˌlēt 

1

: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

professional athletes

2

: an animal (such as a horse or a dog) that competes in races or other sporting events or has qualities (such as stamina and agility) suggestive of a human athlete

Hospice working dogs were wiry, muscular, agile, yellowish-tan or brown athletes with unexaggerated heads …

—Deborah Lawson

Examples of athlete in a Sentence

Athletes from around the world will be competing at the Olympics.

She was quite an athlete as a child.

Recent Examples on the Web

In terms of him as an athlete, no one had a better motor than him. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2025

Gagliardi was inspired to create a performance EVA product that professional athletes and active people can use year-round. —Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025

In earlier generations of smart glasses, this information added context to the scene, such as travel directions or performance data for athletes. —IEEE Spectrum, 13 Nov. 2025

Attorney Leigh Ernst Friestedt spoke for Whitty, Amoroso and her niece, McCabe Ernst, while Laudermilch was the lone athlete to address the court herself. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein to contend for a prize, from athlon prize, contest

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing athlete

• athlete's foot

Rhymes for athlete

• amit
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete
• crabmeat

Kids Definition

athlete

noun

ath·​lete ˈath-ˌlēt 

: a person who is trained in or good at games and exercises that require physical skill, endurance, and strength