pregame

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​game ˈprē-ˌgām 

: existing or occurring before a game

a pregame party

the athlete's usual pregame meal/warm-up

The Bulls had finished their pregame shooting and were returning for the regular pregame meeting to go over the scouting report …

—Sam Smith

pregame

2 of 2

verb

pre·​game ˌprē-ˈgām 

pregamed; pregaming

intransitive verb

US, informal

: to begin drinking alcohol before an event or activity (such as a party or a night out)

Her friends, all in their 20s and pregaming for a Saturday night out in the bars, nodded enthusiastically.

—Dan Kois

On the same principle, pregaming with a few shots before you arrive is a risky maneuver. You should be relatively sober when you present your host gift and size up the situation.

—Pete Wells

pregaming noun

Pregaming … is the practice of consuming alcohol before going to a social event.

—Georgina Lawton

… students reported higher rates of pregaming and alcohol-related blackouts than national averages.

—Tess Sohngen

Examples of pregame in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As Michael Massey began his pregame defensive work, Cameron took his slides off to reveal his bare feet. —Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2026

That was a point Rogers made sure to note during a pregame celebration of the two-time all-star’s achievement on Sunday morning before the team took on the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026

Verb

He was cheered pregame, too, and set to play about 25 minutes following a two-plus-month absence and 27 straight games sidelined because of a right knee injury. —CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

People were talking about pregaming alliances very openly this season. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

2004, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pregame

• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame
• disclaim
• doorframe
• exclaim
• inflame
• mainframe