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

Estelle sported a white shirt under a pink cardigan, while her mother wore a black sweater over a white collared shirt. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Crown Princess Victoria Takes Her Daughter, Princess Estelle, on a Tour Through the Royal Treasury," 11 Jan. 2019 Some of the anime touches to these familiar personas are pretty great: Bane as a downright sumo champion; Robin picking up a monkey sidekick; the Joker sporting a green samurai hair bun. — Sam Machkovech And Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Films for the discerning nerd: Ars picks the best of 2018," 27 Dec. 2018 Those on the InSight team could be easily spotted, thanks to their matching maroon button-down shirts sporting the InSight mission logo. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "Hanging out at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory," 27 Nov. 2018 Last year, the first lady wore a pair of high heels to the Hurricane Harvey flood zone, and was pictured sporting a $1,380 Balmain shirt while gardening a few weeks later. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Melania Trump Wore a White Pith Helmet While Visiting Kenya," 6 Oct. 2018 The hairstyle was very much reminiscent of one frequently sported by our favorite hero, Sailor Moon. — Lauren Rearick, Allure, "Ariana Grande Wears Space Buns on Date With Pete Davidson," 30 Aug. 2018 Ichiro, who also got in on the fun, sported a six-pack T-shirt and black jacket-vest with a skull on it. — Alexa Philippou, The Seattle Times, "Denard Span bats leadoff as Dee Gordon misses second game in row with sore ankle," 5 Aug. 2018 While President Trump sported a more traditional black-and-white tuxedo, FLOTUS stood out with a pale yellow chiffon gown from French label J. Mendel. — Fox News, "Melania Trump praised for J. Mendel gown: 'She looks like a princess'," 12 July 2018 Many were wrapped in foil blankets, and some wore fresh clothing brought in by rescue divers; one sported an England soccer shirt. — Jake Maxwell Watts, WSJ, "Crews Race to Drain Thai Cave Where Youth Soccer Team Is Trapped," 4 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In the image, Robbie is clad in a neon pink sports bra with a clear plastic coat featuring multicolor ribbon trim at the shoulders and HQ's signature red lipstick. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Margot Robbie Shares First Look at New Harley Quinn Costume for Birds of Prey," 28 Jan. 2019 In the stands were sports fans, as well as the suited folk from the business side of the industry. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "The Bold and the Beautiful Style of Professional Bull Riders," 7 Jan. 2019 If any of your sports bras have hook-and-eye closures, use a lingerie bag. — Alyssa Fiorentino, House Beautiful, "9 Things To Know Before Throwing Gym Clothes In The Laundry," 2 Aug. 2018 Speaking of sports, though, Big Red Machine did the theme song for a soccer podcast called American Fiasco, about the United States' 1998 World Cup effort. — Carrie Blackmore Smith, Cincinnati.com, "A different kind of Big Red Machine is back," 13 July 2018 The 570S Spider is a bona fide exotic for a super-expensive-sports-car price. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The McLaren 570S Spider Is Your Just-Won-the-Lottery Car," 12 Dec. 2018 Cortina d’Ampezzo This town is a skier's heaven, immortalized for the sport by the 1956 Olympic Games. — Kelly Hushin, Town & Country, "How to Explore the Hidden Gems of Italy's Dolomite Region," 28 Sep. 2018 Among her social media posts demonstrating her talent in singing, dancing, and sports, there are many photos of Kennedy's family. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Meet Kennedy Holmes: The 13-Year-Old Contestant on ‘The Voice’ Who Coaches Predict Could Win," 24 Sep. 2018 Walter Clopton Wingfield published the first set of rules for the sport in 1873, the lone illustration showed a mixed doubles match. — Ben Rothenberg, New York Times, "To Know Mixed Doubles’ Place in Tennis, Look at the Prize Money," 13 July 2018

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

8 Feb 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