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

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

Stewart is an elite athlete who tested off the charts and has everything teams look for in an edge-rusher prospect. —Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

Black athletes like Sanders already face enough scrutiny. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 28 Apr. 2025

Sinner, 23, is certainly an athlete that kids could learn a thing or two from. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025

O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a general manager role at a college program. —Josh Dubow, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 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