sport 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sportnext
1
as in recreation
activity engaged in to amuse oneself I don't care terribly whether I actually catch any fish, as I'm just doing this for sport

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2
as in game
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously teasing that began in sport ended with some hateful words being exchanged

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3
as in ridicule
the making of unkind jokes as a way of showing one's scorn for someone or something taught their children that it was not polite to make sport of others

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4
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of had become the long-suffering sport of the village

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sport

2 of 2

verb

ˈspȯrt How to pronounce sport (audio)
1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement from sailing to snorkeling, each day we sported at a different activity offered by the beach resort

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2
as in to dance
to play and run about happily the millionaire's grandchildren sporting on the estate's spacious grounds

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3
as in to display
to present so as to invite notice or attention sported his flashy new car by driving it all over town

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sport differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of sport are fun, game, jest, and play. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

When is fun a more appropriate choice than sport?

The synonyms fun and sport are sometimes interchangeable, but fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How are the words game and sport related?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

Where would jest be a reasonable alternative to sport?

The meanings of jest and sport largely overlap; however, jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When can play be used instead of sport?

In some situations, the words play and sport are roughly equivalent. However, play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sport
Noun
Rivalries make all sports more interesting, but many people feel deeply connected with colleges - even more than professional teams. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Running through May 2027, the Premier League features some of the most successful and storied clubs in the history of the sport. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
With c, the followup to last year’s UNMUSIQUE, Lucy is now two full-length projects deep for deadAir, sporting a new distribution deal with Atlantic and trying to translate their dreamscapes for bigger crowds. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026 On their way to the Bahamas in 1940, where the duke would serve as governor, Simpson sported one of her new creations, a blazing Cartier flamingo brooch, encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, citrines, rubies, and sapphires. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sport
  1. recreation
  2. game
  3. ridicule
  4. joke
  5. play
  6. dance
  7. display
  8. relaxation
Noun
  • As participation in lacrosse continues to grow, local clubs, leagues and recreation programs face increasing demands to manage registration, scheduling, communication, team operations and video streaming.
    — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The salon is located in Rosie’s recreation area, where vocational programs like culinary lessons and cosmetology take place, as well as high school and college classes.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of recreation
Noun
  • YouTube Europe boss Pedro Pina, a fixture at these events, reminded producers that the platform won’t take work away from them by entering the production game.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The Peacock streaming platform shares its weekly exclusive games on YouTube.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of game
Noun
  • The lawsuit drew some ridicule from top executives, including at other companies, given the decline of cable TV and the rise of streaming, but the theatrical concerns were real.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Another example is ridicule and mockery of stingy or braggadocious individuals, which keeps greed and bravado in check.
    — Christopher von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridicule
Noun
  • Fitoussi said the project began almost as a joke, with the idea of casting one of France’s busiest actors as someone who never gets to act.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This set off a series of jokes between Meriwether and the cast, along with confirmation that there are no real plans for a reunion at this time.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Footwear also took a distinctly feminine direction this season, with embellishment playing a major role.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This was apparent recently when a judge in Louisiana ruled that players who signed NFL contracts over the summer could return to play their fifth college season at LSU.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of play
Verb
  • All of these girls, all of them, so beautiful, dancing to the same song every night, skin against the cold security of the pole, the stage, accepting the proffered bills graciously.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The audience cheered for their favorite looks, danced to the soundtrack, and cooed at the cute dogs that appeared on the runway (one in sunglasses).
    — Vogue, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of dance
Verb
  • The absence of a living monarch on our money, or on our travel documents, was not an accident haphazardly arrived at but a declaration of equality meant to be flourished and displayed.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Previously considered an undesirable byproduct, these structures have displayed unusual optical properties, including the ability to polarize, refract, and conduct light in distinctive ways.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of display
Noun
  • Yes, there is a spa area with a sauna, steam room, frost cabin, and a hot relaxation pool.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In other words, relaxation and enjoyment can be an important part of a satisfying solo dining experience.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of relaxation

Phrases Containing sport

Browse Nearby Words

sporadically
sport
sported
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Cite this Entry

“Sport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sport. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sport

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sport

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