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

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about sport

Keep scrolling for more

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

In an announcement, Target revealed their new online retail initiative, which will be a curated collection of products—including categories like home, sporting goods, toys, and electronics—from third-party sellers. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Target's New Marketplace Will Be Selling a Lot More Online-Exclusive Home Decor," 25 Feb. 2019 Alyson Stoner is sporting a whole new look in her new music video. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "Alyson Stoner Shaves Her Head in New Music Video for "Stripped Bare"," 14 Feb. 2019 So the telescope will sport a giant sunshade the size of a tennis court, which will unfold after James Webb reaches its final destination, a gravitationally stable spot about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. — Mike Wall, Scientific American, "NASA Defers Launch of James Webb Space Telescope Again—This Time to 2021," 27 June 2018 Other retailers that sell sporting goods include Target Corp. and Walmart Inc. as well as specialty stores such as Bass Pro Shops. — Sara Castellanos, WSJ, "Dick’s Tech Chief Goes All Out on In-House Software," 26 Mar. 2019 Fun work day sporting my @jilliandempsey jewelry 🌟 chatting about Ben is Back. — Marci Robin, Allure, "Julia Roberts Just Cut Her Signature Hair Into a Wavy Lob — Her Shortest Look in Years," 16 Mar. 2019 The supermodel also sported a chic and sleek bob with the look. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Bradley Cooper Brings Irina Shayk and His Mom to the Oscars," 25 Feb. 2019 Delevingne also sported $200,000 worth of Amwaj citrine and diamond earrings, plus ring. — Leanne Italie, The Seattle Times, "Tracee Ellis Ross leads parade of pink on Emmys carpet," 17 Sep. 2018 Models also sported intricate manicures designed by CND that were inspired by some of the most evil Disney characters around. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "The Blonds Bring Disney Villains to New York Fashion Week," 8 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Loughlin and Giannulli are accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to get their daughters admitted as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team, even though neither of them play the sport. — Alanna Durkin Richer, The Seattle Times, "Test taker pleads guilty in college admissions bribery scam," 13 Apr. 2019 And parents have reason to be concerned about young kids playing the sport. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain," 4 Feb. 2019 The royal even tossed a ball around in heels, proving the duchess can play sports while wearing anything. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Wears a Black Givenchy Dress to the Royal Academy's Oceania Exhibit," 25 Sep. 2018 Intel says the mini-PCs can play e-sports like League of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive at 1080p resolution, however. — Ian Paul, PCWorld, "Intel rolls out NUC mini-PCs with 10nm 'Cannon Lake' CPUs and AMD Radeon graphics," 16 Aug. 2018 Black is so easy to match with most of my sports bras, tanks, sneakers, and sweatshirts. — Amy Marturana, SELF, "I'm a Fitness Editor and These Are the 7 Pairs of Black Leggings I Basically Live In," 29 Mar. 2019 Nichols grew up in a small New Mexico town playing sports. — Gianluca Russo, Glamour, "Paralympian Alana Nichols Is Facing Her Biggest Challenge Yet: Motherhood as a Disabled Woman," 24 Mar. 2019 For his upcoming film The Beach Bum, Zac has been sporting a tousled ‘do with blonde highlights, slicked up and often held in place with a brightly colored sports band. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Zac Efron's Hair for "The Beach Bum" Was Inspired By a Panini," 16 Mar. 2019 To get really creative, sport a pretty-in-pink manicure with some easy DIY Easter nail designs. — Madison Alcedo, Country Living, "The Real Meaning Behind the Colors of Easter," 8 Mar. 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about sport

Dictionary Entries near sport

Statistics for sport

Last Updated

19 Apr 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for sport

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

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