as in playful
given to good-natured joking or teasing
a sportive pastor who began every sermon with a joke
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Recent Examples of sportive
In 2018, Brooke Eby, a sportive goofball with strawberry-blond hair, started to feel as though her left foot couldn’t keep up.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
That was true even in extremely endangered ones such as the northern sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis) of which only 40 are known to exist, all within 12 square kilometers of Madagascar.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 1 June 2023
Revel, too, in more sportive jaunts, such as volcano hiking, horseback-riding, zip-lining, rappelling down waterfalls, fishing and white-water river rafting.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
The rarest is the Sahafary sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis), found in a tiny area in northern Madagascar.
—Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for sportive
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 June 2023
That was true even in extremely endangered ones such as the northern sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis) of which only 40 are known to exist, all within 12 square kilometers of Madagascar.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 1 June 2023
Revel, too, in more sportive jaunts, such as volcano hiking, horseback-riding, zip-lining, rappelling down waterfalls, fishing and white-water river rafting.
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
The rarest is the Sahafary sportive lemur (Lepilemur septentrionalis), found in a tiny area in northern Madagascar.
—Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2020
See All Example Sentences for sportive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sportive
playful
Adjective
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The Puma sneakers bring a sleek, sporty vibe with metallic silver accents, while the Lucky Step sneakers add playful texture with mesh detailing.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
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In fact, Golden State was feeling so confident that their television network decided to take a playful jab at Lakers superstar LeBron James.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sportive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sportive. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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