sport

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sport^¹

/spɔːt/ UK
/spoːt/ Australia, British, New Zealand
/spoɹt/ US
[spoɹʔ] US
/spɔː/ Tasmanian
/spoɾt/ Scotland
/spoːt/
/spɔət/ Eastern New England
/spɔət/ UK, obsolete

Rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t

Where it comes from

From Middle English sporten (“to divert, disport”, verb) and sport, spoort, sporte (noun), apheretic shortenings of disporten (verb) and disport, disporte (noun), from Old French desporter (“to divert, amuse, please, play; to seek amusement”), etymologically meaning "to carry away (the mind from serious matters)," from des- + porter, from Latin dis- + Latin portāre, ultimately from Latin deportāre, from de- + portāre, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to lead, pass over”)). Replaced native English laik, lake (“sport, fun, amusement”), and Middle English spile, spyl (“fun, sport, play”). More at disport. Doublet of disport and deport.

noun sports

countable, uncountable Any activity that uses physical exertion or skills competitively under a set of rules that is not based on aesthetics. Basketball is her favorite sport, and she also enjoys various other sports as well.
countable A person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship. Jen may have won, but she was sure a poor sport; she laughed at the loser.
countable Somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirably good-natured manner, e.g. to being teased or to losing a game; a good sport. You're such a sport! You never get upset when we tease you.
archaic, countable, uncountable Something fun, pastime; amusement. Think it but a minute spent in sport.
Similar: amusement, avocation, diversion, divertisement, fancy, hobby, kill-time, pastime, pursuit, sport
archaic, countable, uncountable Mockery, making fun; derision. Why then make ſport at me, then let me be your ieſt
countable A toy; a plaything; an object of mockery. flitting leaves, the sport of every wind
uncountable Gaming for money as in racing, hunting, or fishing.
countable A plant or an animal, or part of a plant or animal, which has some peculiarity not usually seen in the species; an abnormal variety or growth. The term encompasses both mutants and organisms with non-genetic developmental abnormalities such as birth defects. We never shot another like it, so I do not know if it was a `sport' or a distinct species.
countable, slang A sportsman; a gambler. See my dressed like all the sports/In my blazer and a pair of shorts.
countable, slang One who consorts with disreputable people, including prostitutes.
obsolete, uncountable An amorous dalliance.
countable, informal, singular, uncountable, usually A friend or acquaintance (chiefly used when speaking to the friend in question) "Say, sport!" he would say briskly.
Similar: babber, billy, bredrin, bruv, bud, buddo, buddy, butty, chaver, china, chuck, chum
countable, uncountable Term of endearment used by an adult for a child, usually a boy. Hey, sport! You've gotten so big since I saw you last! Give me five.
archaic, countable, uncountable Play; idle jingle. 1725-1726, William Broome, The Odyssey An author who should introduce such a sport of words upon our stage […] would meet with small applause.

verb sports · sporting · sported

intransitive To amuse oneself, to play. children sporting on the green
intransitive To mock or tease, treat lightly, toy with. Jen sports with Bill's emotions.
transitive To display; to have as a notable feature. Jen's sporting a new pair of shoes; he was sporting a new wound from the combat
Similar: rock, wear
reflexive To divert; to amuse; to make merry. Against whom do ye sport yourselves?
transitive To represent by any kind of play. Now sporting on thy lyre the loves of youth.
To practise the diversions of the field or the turf; to be given to betting, as upon races.
To assume suddenly a new and different character from the rest of the plant or from the type of the species; said of a bud, shoot, plant, or animal. more than one kind of rose has sported into a moss
archaic, transitive To close (a door). There he locked it up in a drawer, sported the doors of both sets of rooms, and retired to bed.

SPORT^²

proper noun

abbreviation, acronym Acronym of Strategic Partnership On REACH Testing

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: sportsman, athletics, run around, play, cavort, disport, gambol, romp, rollick, frolic, frisk, fun, feature, boast, sportswoman, nonresident

Translations

Every language

noun any athletic activity that uses physical skills

Español	deporte, sport
한국어	운동 undong, 스포츠 seupocheu
日本語	運動 undō, スポーツ supōtsu
中文	運動 /运动 yùndòng
हिन्दी	वर्ज़िश varziś, खेल khel, खेल-कूद khel-kūd, स्पोर्ट sporṭ
Kiswahili	spoti, riadha
Português	esporte, desporto
Français	sport
Deutsch	Sport
Italiano	sport, diporto
Ελληνικά	άθλημα áthlima
Română	sport
Русский	спорт sport
Tiếng Việt	thể thao
العربية	رِيَاضَة riyāḍa
עברית	סְפּוֹרְט sport, מלעב milʿav

noun person who exhibits either good or bad sportsmanship

Español	deportista
Kiswahili	spoti
Deutsch	Sportsmann, Sportsfrau
Русский	спортсме́н sportsmén, спортсме́нка sportsménka
العربية	ذو روح رياضية Thu rouh riyadhiyya

noun somebody who behaves or reacts in an admirable manner

Kiswahili	spoti
العربية	خلوق kha-louq

noun toy

Español	juguete, burla
Kiswahili	spoti

noun gaming for money as in racing, hunting, fishing

Kiswahili	spoti

noun abnormal plant or animal

Español	espécimen raro
Kiswahili	spoti

noun slang: sportsman; gambler

Kiswahili	spoti

noun amorous dalliance

Español	aventura
Kiswahili	spoti
Français	flirt

verb amuse oneself

Português	recrear-se
Français	jouer
Deutsch	spielen, sich vergnügen, herumtollen

verb mock or tease

Español	jugar, burlarse
Português	zombar
Français	taquiner, moquer
Deutsch	herumspielen, Spott treiben

verb display, have as feature — see also wear

Español	lucir, mostrar, llevar
Deutsch	tragen, präsentieren, zur Schau stellen, angeben mit, protzen mit
Русский	демонстрировать demonstrirovatʹ

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Cite this

MLA

"sport." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sport. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

sport. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sport

Chicago

"sport." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sport.

BibTeX

@misc{sport_2026,
  title = {sport},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sport},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}