sport

verb

\ ˈspȯrt

sported; sporting; sports

Definition of sport

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : to amuse oneself : frolic lambs sporting in the meadow

b : to engage in a sport

2a : to mock or ridicule something

b : to speak or act in jest : trifle

3 [ ²sport ] : to deviate or vary abruptly from type (as by bud variation) : mutate

transitive verb

1 : to display or wear usually ostentatiously : boast sporting expensive new shoes

2 [ ²sport ] : to put forth as a sport or bud variation

sport

noun

Definition of sport (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : a source of diversion : recreation

b : sexual play

c(1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure

(2) : a particular activity (such as an athletic game) so engaged in

2a : pleasantry, jest

b : often mean-spirited jesting : mockery, derision

3a : something tossed or driven about in or as if in play

b : laughingstock

4a : sportsman

b : a person considered with respect to living up to the ideals of sportsmanship a good sport a poor sport

c : a companionable person

5 : an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue

sport

adjective

variants: or sports

Definition of sport (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or suitable for sports especially : styled in a manner suitable for casual or informal wear sport coats

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Choose the Right Synonym for sport

Noun

fun, jest, sport, game, play mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter. fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose. played cards just for fun jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing. hurt by remarks said only in jest sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone. teasing begun in sport led to anger game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun. made game of their poor relations play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief. pretended to strangle his brother in play

Examples of sport in a Sentence

Verb

She showed up at the party sporting a bright red hat. from sailing to snorkeling, each day we sported at a different activity offered by the beach resort

Noun

She likes to play sport. Ice-skating with friends is my favorite sport.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Chadwick, sporting a mustache and goatee, was seen in footage released by CBS News walking through Los Angeles International Airport in handcuffs, accompanied by law enforcement officials from multiple agencies. — Julia Sclafani, Daily Pilot, "Newport Beach fugitive charged in wife’s 2012 killing is captured," 5 Aug. 2019 Miami Dolphins strong safety Reshad Jones showed up at the conclusion of Saturday’s scrimmage with his right foot in a cast, and sporting a walking boot. — Omar Kelly, sun-sentinel.com, "Dolphins safety Reshad Jones’ right foot in a cast," 3 Aug. 2019 The campaign features three Miami icons sporting the sneakers, including dancer and drag performer Rae Woods, community organizer and Fempower founder Helen Peña, and athlete and med student Ine Collins. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Chromat Teamed Up With Reebok On A Collection of Sneakers," 2 Aug. 2019 In a recent Instagram post, the singer, 39, shared a photo of her eight-year-old daughter sporting a bright new look, alongside an image of Jessica Simpson dyeing the ends of her own daughter's hair. — Zoya Ansari And Megan Thomas, CNN, "Pink dyes daughter's hair in support of Jessica Simpson's decision to do the same," 2 Aug. 2019 That two-year stint in L.A., however, pales in comparison to the sight of one of the NFL's all-time great defensive backs sporting the uniform of what was then one of the league's perennial laughingstocks, the Jets. — Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, "Opinion: 11 NFL legends with the strangest career stops," 26 July 2019 Of course, the blonde Oscar winner isn’t the only celebrity sporting these shoes around Hollywood. — Braelyn Wood, Health.com, "Reese Witherspoon Owns So Many Pairs of These Sneakers That She's Constantly Wearing Them," 23 July 2019 The spacecraft that’s now sporting a shiny new accessory is called LightSail 2, which is operated by The Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization that advocates for space exploration. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Spacecraft designed to ride on sunlight deploys its reflective solar sail," 23 July 2019 An important difference from Civil War: This time, Zemo was sporting a purple mask, much like his comic-book counterpart. — Christian Holub, EW.com, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," 21 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Not all elite freshmen will pan out, but history dictates that many of them will help headline the sport for the next year—and, for some, maybe even beyond. — Emily Caron, SI.com, "Keion Brooks's Versatility Will Be Valued on a Reloaded Kentucky Roster," 7 Aug. 2019 The 5-foot-4 Correa still has found a way to stand tall in a sport where height has become more and more important. — Terrence Thomas, ExpressNews.com, "Volleyball’s liberos small in stature, big in impact," 4 Aug. 2019 But this is Wisconsin, where seeking out bargains is considered a sport. — Joe Taschler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Families are expected to spend more on back-to-school this year than ever. Here's how you can save money.," 2 Aug. 2019 Last year, Loons midfielder Collin Martin came out as gay, becoming the only publicly gay male athlete in a major U.S. sport. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "With Gov. Walz, Minnesota United makes statement on immigration," 28 July 2019 And maybe even introduce them to a whole new sport like rock climbing. — Sarah Kuta, The Know, "As the Royal Gorge turns 90, now is the time to visit Cañon City," 27 July 2019 With products by Nike, adidas, Topshop, and more, the on-sale pieces run the gamut from color blocked dresses and comfy sneakers to sports bras and candles. — Teen Vogue, "Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2019: What Our Editors Are Buying," 26 July 2019 On Monday, UAA’s Caroline Kurgat was named the Division II scholar of the year in two sports — indoor track and outdoor track — and Ostrander was named the Division I scholar of the year in outdoor track. — Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska runner Allie Ostrander will make her pro debut this week," 25 July 2019 Payne is realizing her own dream of performing for sports teams by dancing on the sidelines of the San Diego Guardians, a semi-professional basketball team. — Ramona Sentinel, "Emily Payne shares love of dancing, pageantry," 25 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sport.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for sport

Last Updated

9 Aug 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for sport

The first known use of sport was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for sport

sport

verb

English Language Learners Definition of sport

(Entry 1 of 3)

: to wear (something) in a way that attracts attention

literary : to play in a happy and lively way

sport

noun

English Language Learners Definition of sport (Entry 2 of 3)

: a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other

British : sports in general

: a physical activity (such as hunting, fishing, running, swimming, etc.) that is done for enjoyment

sport

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of sport (Entry 3 of 3)

: done for enjoyment rather than as a job or for food for survival

chiefly US : participating in an activity (such as hunting or fishing) for enjoyment rather than as a job or for food for survival

See the full definition for sport in the English Language Learners Dictionary

sport

noun

\ ˈspȯrt

Kids Definition of sport

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : physical activity (as running or an athletic game) engaged in for pleasure or exercise Skating is my favorite sport.

2 : a person who shows good sportsmanship He's a sport and doesn't mind losing. Don't be a bad sport.

3 : pastime, recreation

4 : fun entry 1 sense 3 He made sport of their embarrassment.

sport

verb

sported; sporting

Kids Definition of sport (Entry 2 of 2)

: to wear in a way that attracts attention He sported new sneakers.

sport

noun

\ ˈspō(ə)rt, ˈspȯ(ə)rt

Medical Definition of sport

: an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue