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Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the earliest writers to amuse the reading public with the verb disport. Chaucer and his contemporaries carried the word into English from Anglo-French, adapting it from desporter, meaning "to carry away, comfort, or entertain." The word can ultimately be traced back to the Latin verb portare, meaning "to carry." Deport, portable, and transport are among the members of the portare family.
Examples of disport in a Sentence
Verb
disported themselves with silly games while they waited in the airport
a full-service resort where vacationers may disport at a variety of indoor and outdoor activities
Recent Examples on the Web
David Frum, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2017
Today, in the face of widespread public revulsion, some of the marchers discover that being identified disporting themselves has unpleasant consequences.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 14 Aug. 2017
They’re seen disporting in matching white bathrobes, doing Tai Chi or playing croquet or doing crossword puzzles or playing cards, seemingly living in slow motion on the manicured lawn and marbled patio of an enormous courtyard.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2017
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Verb
Zeman has disported himself as one of Putin’s most outspoken allies inside the European Union, in particular as an opponent of the sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2017
Today, in the face of widespread public revulsion, some of the marchers discover that being identified disporting themselves has unpleasant consequences.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 14 Aug. 2017
They’re seen disporting in matching white bathrobes, doing Tai Chi or playing croquet or doing crossword puzzles or playing cards, seemingly living in slow motion on the manicured lawn and marbled patio of an enormous courtyard.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Disport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disport. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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