ace;
adept;
champion;
sensation;
maven;
mavin;
virtuoso;
genius;
hotshot;
star;
superstar;
whiz;
whizz;
wizard;
wizsomeone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
adversary;
antagonist;
opponent;
opposer;
resistersomeone who offers opposition
amateursomeone who pursues a study or sport as a pastime
amateurismthe conviction that people should participate in sports as a hobby (for the fun of it) rather than for money
archer;
bowmana person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
archerythe sport of shooting arrows with a bow
area;
countrya particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography); "it was a mountainous area"; "Bible country"
arrowa projectile with a straight thin shaft and an arrowhead on one end and stabilizing vanes on the other; intended to be shot from a bow
athlete;
jocka person trained to compete in sports
attackan offensive move in a sport or game; "they won the game with a 10-hit attack in the 9th inning"
attacker;
aggressor;
assailant;
assaultersomeone who attacks
auto racing;
car racingthe sport of racing automobiles
backstop(baseball) a fence or screen (as behind home plate) to prevent the ball from traveling out of the playing field
badmintona game played on a court with light long-handled rackets used to volley a shuttlecock over a net
baseballa ball used in playing baseball
baseball;
baseball gamea ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!"
basketballan inflated ball used in playing basketball
basketball;
basketball game;
hoopsa game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop
bata club used for hitting a ball in various games
batter;
hitter;
slugger;
batsman(baseball) a ballplayer who is batting
batting(baseball) the batter's attempt to get on base
batting order;
card;
lineup(baseball) a list of batters in the order in which they will bat; "the managers presented their cards to the umpire at home plate"
bet;
wager;
playstake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse"
billiardsany of several games played on rectangular cloth-covered table (with cushioned edges) in which long tapering cue sticks are used to propel ivory (or composition) balls
boating;
yachtingwater travel for pleasure
boomerang;
throwing stick;
throw sticka curved piece of wood; when properly thrown will return to thrower
bowa weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow
bowlinga game in which balls are rolled at an object or group of objects with the aim of knocking them over or moving them
boxera breed of stocky medium-sized short-haired dog with a brindled coat and square-jawed muzzle developed in Germany
boxer;
pugilistsomeone who fights with his fists for sport
boxing;
pugilism;
fisticuffsfighting with the fists
boxing glove;
gloveboxing equipment consisting of big and padded coverings for the fists of the fighters; worn for the sport of boxing
bronzean alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
bullfighter;
toreadorsomeone who fights bulls
bullfighting;
tauromachythe activity at a bullfight
bunt(baseball) the act of hitting a baseball lightly without swinging the bat
call(sports) the decision made by an umpire or referee; "he was ejected for protesting the call"
canoesmall and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
catcher;
backstop(baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher
champion;
champ;
title-holdersomeone who has won first place in a competition
championship;
titlethe status of being a champion; "he held the title for two years"
cheat;
chouse;
shaft;
screw;
chicane;
jockeydefeat someone through trickery or deceit
cheerleadersomeone who leads the cheers by spectators at a sporting event
clean;
sporting;
sporty;
sportsmanlikeexhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play; "a clean fight"; "a sporting solution of the disagreement"; "sportsmanlike conduct"
cleanup;
cleanup position;
cleanup spot(baseball) the fourth position in the batting order (usually filled by the best batter on the team)
climbersomeone who climbs as a sport; especially someone who climbs mountains; "the lead climber looked strong still but his partner often slumped in his ropes"
clock;
timemeasure the time or duration of an event or action or the person who performs an action in a certain period of time; "he clocked the runners"
coach;
trainteach and supervise (someone); act as a trainer or coach (to), as in sports; "He is training our Olympic team"; "She is coaching the crew"
competition;
contention;
rivalrythe act of competing as for profit or a prize; "the teams were in fierce contention for first place"
competitor;
rival;
challenger;
competition;
contenderthe contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was doing"
contest;
competitionan occasion on which a winner is selected from among two or more contestants
coursefacility consisting of a circumscribed area of land or water laid out for a sport; "the course had only nine holes"; "the course was less than a mile"
cricketa game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players; teams take turns trying to score runs
cricketeran athlete who plays cricket
croqueta game in which players hit a wooden ball through a series of hoops; the winner is the first to traverse all the hoops and hit a peg
cross-country skiingthe sport of skiing across the countryside (rather than downhill)
cup;
loving cupa large metal vessel with two handles that is awarded as a trophy to the winner of a competition; "the school kept the cups is a special glass case"
curlinga game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target
cut;
undercut(sports) a stroke that puts reverse spin on the ball; "cuts do not bother a good tennis player"
cyclingthe sport of traveling on a bicycle or motorcycle
decathlonan athletic contest consisting of ten different events
decoration;
laurel wreath;
medal;
medallion;
palm;
ribbonan award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
defender;
guardian;
protector;
shieldera person who cares for persons or property
defense;
defence;
defending team(sports) the team that is trying to prevent the other team from scoring; "his teams are always good on defense"
disability;
disablement;
handicap;
impairmentthe condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; "reading disability"; "hearing impairment"
discus;
saucera disk used in throwing competitions
disqualifydeclare unfit; "She was disqualified for the Olympics because she was a professional athlete"
diver;
frogman;
underwater diversomeone who works underwater
diving boarda springboard from which swimmers can dive
drive(sports) a hard straight return (as in tennis or squash)
druga substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic
eleven;
11;
XIthe cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
elimination;
riddancethe act of removing or getting rid of something
English;
side(sports) the spin given to a ball by striking it on one side or releasing it with a sharp twist
error;
misplay(baseball) a failure of a defensive player to make an out when normal play would have sufficed
feintany distracting or deceptive maneuver (as a mock attack)
fencer;
swordsmansomeone skilled at fencing
fencingthe art or sport of fighting with swords (especially the use of foils or epees or sabres to score points under a set of rules)
fieldall the competitors in a particular contest or sporting event
field hockey;
hockeya game resembling ice hockey that is played on an open field; two opposing teams use curved sticks try to drive a ball into the opponents' net
finalthe final match between the winners of all previous matches in an elimination tournament
finalista contestant who reaches the final stages of a competition
finish;
goal;
destinationthe place designated as the end (as of a race or journey); "a crowd assembled at the finish"; "he was nearly exhausted as their destination came into view"
fishing;
sportfishingthe act of someone who fishes as a diversion
footballthe inflated oblong ball used in playing American football
football;
football gameany of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
forehand;
forehand stroke;
forehand shot(sports) a return made with the palm of the hand facing the direction of the stroke (as in tennis or badminton or squash)
forwardthe person who plays the position of forward in certain games, such as basketball, soccer, or hockey
foulan act that violates the rules of a sport
front-runner;
favorite;
favouritea competitor thought likely to win
fumble;
muff(sports) dropping the ball
gamblera person who wagers money on the outcome of games or sporting events
gambling;
gaming;
playthe act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize); "his gambling cost him a fortune"; "there was heavy play at the blackjack table"
gamea contest with rules to determine a winner; "you need four people to play this game"
gamea single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours"
gear;
paraphernalia;
appurtenanceequipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport etc.
get the better of;
overcome;
defeatwin a victory over; "You must overcome all difficulties"; "defeat your enemies"; "He overcame his shyness"; "He overcame his infirmity"; "Her anger got the better of her and she blew up"
glide;
gliding;
sailplaning;
soaring;
sailingthe activity of flying a glider
goala successful attempt at scoring; "the winning goal came with less than a minute left to play"
goalkeeper;
goalie;
goaltender;
netkeeper;
netminderthe soccer or hockey player assigned to protect the goal
goalmouth(sports) the area immediately in front of the goal
goalpostone of a pair of posts (usually joined by a crossbar) that are set up as a goal at each end of a playing field
gogglestight-fitting spectacles worn to protect the eyes
gold;
Au;
atomic number 79a soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regia
golf;
golf gamea game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes
golf club;
golf-club;
clubgolf equipment used by a golfer to hit a golf ball
gymnasium;
gymathletic facility equipped for sports or physical training
hammer throwan athletic competition in which a heavy metal ball that is attached to a flexible wire is hurled as far as possible
handballa game played in a walled court or against a single wall by two or four players who strike a rubber ball with their hands
handicapadvantage given to a competitor to equalize chances of winning
harnessa support consisting of an arrangement of straps for holding something to the body (especially one supporting a person suspended from a parachute)
headbanda band worn around or over the head; "the earphones were held in place by a headband"
heavyweighta professional boxer who weighs more than 190 pounds
helmeta protective headgear made of hard material to resist blows
hit(baseball) a successful stroke in an athletic contest (especially in baseball); "he came all the way around on Williams' hit"
horse racingthe sport of racing horses
horseman;
equestrian;
horseback ridera man skilled in equitation
hurdlea light movable barrier that competitors must leap over in certain races
hurdleran athlete who runs the hurdles
hurdles;
hurdling;
hurdle racea footrace in which contestants must negotiate a series of hurdles
ice hockey;
hockey;
hockey gamea game played on an ice rink by two opposing teams of six skaters each who try to knock a flat round puck into the opponents' goal with angled sticks
inning;
frame(baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat
jai alai;
pelotaa Basque or Spanish game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket
javelina spear thrown as a weapon or in competitive field events
jockeysomeone employed to ride horses in horse races
judoa sport adapted from jujitsu (using principles of not resisting) and similar to wrestling; developed in Japan
jump;
leap;
bound;
springmove forward by leaps and bounds; "The horse bounded across the meadow"; "The child leapt across the puddle"; "Can you jump over the fence?"
juniorthe younger of two persons; "she is two years my junior"
lacrossea game invented by American Indians; now played by two teams who use long-handled rackets to catch and carry and throw the ball toward the opponents' goal
lap;
circle;
circuitmovement once around a course; "he drove an extra lap just for insurance"
lead(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base; "he took a long lead off first"
leadan advantage held by a competitor in a race; "he took the lead at the last turn"
lead;
headtravel in front of; go in advance of others; "The procession was headed by John"
league;
conferencean association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
lightweightan amateur boxer who weighs no more than 132 pounds
losefail to win; "We lost the battle but we won the war"
loser;
also-rana contestant who loses the contest
malleta sports implement with a long handle and a head like a hammer; used in sports (polo or croquet) to hit a ball
mascota person or animal that is adopted by a team or other group as a symbolic figure
mat;
gym matsports equipment consisting of a piece of thick padding on the floor for gymnastic sports
matcha formal contest in which two or more persons or teams compete
midfield(sports) the middle part of a playing field (as in football or lacrosse)
mound;
hill;
pitcher|s mound(baseball) the slight elevation on which the pitcher stands
net;
network;
mesh;
meshing;
meshworkan open fabric of string or rope or wire woven together at regular intervals
offense;
offence;
offensivethe action of attacking an enemy
offside(sport) the mistake of occupying an illegal position on the playing field (in football, soccer, ice hockey, field hockey, etc.)
opposition;
opponent;
oppositea contestant that you are matched against
organization;
organisationa group of people who work together
pairtwo people considered as a unit
pass;
toss;
flip(sports) the act of throwing the ball to another member of your team; "the pass was fumbled"
pentathletean athlete who competes in a pentathlon
pentathlonan athletic contest consisting of five different events
pitcher;
hurler;
twirler(baseball) the person who does the pitching; "our pitcher has a sore arm"
playparticipate in games or sport; "We played hockey all afternoon"; "play cards"; "Pele played for the Brazilian teams in many important matches"
player;
participanta person who participates in or is skilled at some game
plunk;
plunker(baseball) hitting a baseball so that it drops suddenly
pole vault;
pole vaulting;
pole jump;
pole jumpinga competition that involves jumping over a high crossbar with the aid of a long pole
position(in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?"
professionalengaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood; "the professional man or woman possesses distinctive qualifications"; "began her professional career after the Olympics"; "professional theater"; "professional football"; "a professional cook"; "professional actors and athletes"
professional;
proan athlete who plays for pay
professional;
professional persona person engaged in one of the learned professions
professionalismthe expertness characteristic of a professional person
protest;
protestationa formal and solemn declaration of objection; "they finished the game under protest to the league president"; "the senator rose to register his protest"; "the many protestations did not stay the execution"
psychology;
psychological sciencethe science of mental life
puck;
hockey pucka vulcanized rubber disk 3 inches in diameter that is used instead of a ball in ice hockey
racea contest of speed; "the race is to the swift"
racer;
race driver;
automobile driversomeone who drives racing cars at high speeds
racetrack;
racecourse;
raceway;
tracka course over which races are run
racingthe sport of engaging in contests of speed
racket;
racqueta sports implement (usually consisting of a handle and an oval frame with a tightly interlaced network of strings) used to strike a ball (or shuttlecock) in various games
recordan extreme attainment; the best (or worst) performance ever attested (as in a sport); "he tied the Olympic record"; "coffee production last year broke all previous records"; "Chicago set the homicide record"
referee;
ref(sports) the chief official (as in boxing or American football) who is expected to ensure fair play
regattaa meeting for boat races
replacesubstitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected); "He replaced the old razor blade"; "We need to replace the secretary that left a month ago"; "the insurance will replace the lost income"; "This antique vase can never be replaced"
replace;
supplant;
supersede;
supervene upon;
supercedetake the place or move into the position of; "Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left"; "the computer has supplanted the slide rule"; "Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school"
replay;
rematchsomething (especially a game) that is played again
riding;
horseback riding;
equitationthe sport of siting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements
right-hander;
right hander;
righthandera person who uses the right hand more skillfully than the left
ringa platform usually marked off by ropes in which contestants box or wrestle
rock climbingthe sport or pastime of scaling rock masses on mountain sides (especially with the help of ropes and special equipment)
rodeoan exhibition of cowboy skills
rowing;
rowthe act of rowing as a sport
rugby;
rugby football;
ruggera form of football played with an oval ball
rule;
regulationa principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation"
runmove fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time; "Don't run--you'll be out of breath"; "The children ran to the store"
sacrifice(baseball) an out that advances the base runners
sailingriding in a sailboat
scorethe act of scoring in a game or sport; "the winning score came with less than a minute left to play"
scoreless;
goalless;
hitlesshaving no points scores; "a scoreless inning"
scout;
talent scoutsomeone employed to discover and recruit talented persons (especially in the worlds of entertainment or sports)
serve;
service(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play; "his powerful serves won the game"
shot;
pelleta solid missile discharged from a firearm; "the shot buzzed past his ear"
shot;
shootera person who shoots (usually with respect to their ability to shoot); "he is a crack shot"; "a poor shooter"
silver;
Ag;
atomic number 47a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
skatesports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs
skateboardingthe sport of skating on a skateboard
skatingthe sport of gliding on skates
skinarrow wood or metal or plastic runners used in pairs for gliding over snow
ski resorta resort with lodging and facilities for skiing
skiersomeone who skis
skiinga sport in which participants must travel on skis
skydivera person who jumps from a plane and performs various gymnastic maneuvers before pulling the parachute cord
sled;
sledge;
sleigha vehicle mounted on runners and pulled by horses or dogs; for transportation over snow
sleddingthe sport of riding on a sled or sleigh
soccer;
association footballa football game in which two teams of 11 players try to kick or head a ball into the opponents' goal
softball;
softball gamea game closely resembling baseball that is played on a smaller diamond and with a ball that is larger and softer
spoilsport;
killjoy;
wet blanket;
party poopersomeone who spoils the pleasure of others
sport;
athleticsan active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
sport;
sportsman;
sportswomansomeone who engages in sports
sportingrelating to or used in sports; "sporting events"; "sporting equipment"
sportiverelating to or interested in sports
sports fan;
fan;
rooteran enthusiastic devotee of sports
sportsmanshipfairness in following the rules of the game
sportswear;
athletic wear;
activewearattire worn for sport or for casual wear
sprintersomeone who runs a short distance at top speed
stadium;
bowl;
arena;
sports stadiuma large structure for open-air sports or entertainments
standtiered seats consisting of a structure (often made of wood) where people can sit to watch an event (game or parade)
stand-in;
substitute;
relief;
reliever;
backup;
backup man;
fill-insomeone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins"
startera contestant in a team sport who is in the game at the beginning
starter;
dispatcherthe official who signals the beginning of a race or competition
starting(especially of eyes) bulging or protruding as with fear; "with eyes starting from their sockets"
steroidany of several fat-soluble organic compounds having as a basis 17 carbon atoms in four rings; many have important physiological effects
stopwatch;
stop watcha timepiece that can be started or stopped for exact timing (as of a race)
strike(baseball) a pitch that the batter swings at and misses, or that the batter hits into foul territory, or that the batter does not swing at but the umpire judges to be in the area over home plate and between the batter's knees and shoulders; "this pitcher throws more strikes than balls"
substitute;
replacementa person or thing that takes or can take the place of another
surfer;
surfboardersomeone who engages in surfboarding
surfing;
surfboarding;
surfridingthe sport of riding a surfboard toward the shore on the crest of a wave
swimming;
swimthe act of swimming; "it was the swimming they enjoyed most": "they took a short swim in the pool"
table tennis;
Ping-Ponga game (trademark Ping-Pong) resembling tennis but played on a table with paddles and a light hollow ball
tag(sports) the act of touching a player in a game (which changes their status in the game)
target;
buttsports equipment consisting of an object set up for a marksman or archer to aim at
team;
squada cooperative unit (especially in sports)
team sporta sport that involves competition between teams of players; "baseball is a team sport by golf is not"
tennis;
lawn tennisa game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
throwthe act of throwing (propelling something with a rapid movement of the arm and wrist); "the catcher made a good throw to second base"
timethe continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past
timean indefinite period (usually marked by specific attributes or activities); "he waited a long time"; "the time of year for planting"; "he was a great actor in his time"
time;
fourth dimensionthe fourth coordinate that is required (along with three spatial dimensions) to specify a physical event
title;
title of respect;
form of addressan identifying appellation signifying status or function: e.g. `Mr.' or `General'; "the professor didn't like his friends to use his formal title"
tournament;
tourneya sporting competition in which contestants play a series of games to decide the winner
trainerone who trains other persons or animals
trial(sports) a preliminary competition to determine qualifications; "the trials for the semifinals began yesterday"
tug-of-wara contest in which teams pull of opposite ends of a rope; the team dragged across a central line loses
turn;
bout;
round(sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive
volleyball;
volleyball gamea game in which two teams hit an inflated ball over a high net using their hands
water poloa game played in a swimming pool by two teams of swimmers who try to throw an inflated ball into the opponents' goal
water sport;
aquaticssports that involve bodies of water
weightlift;
weightliftingbodybuilding by exercise that involves lifting weights
wina victory (as in a race or other competition); "he was happy to get the win"
winbe the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious; "He won the Gold Medal in skating"; "Our home team won"; "Win the game"
winger(sports) player in wing position
winner;
victorthe contestant who wins the contest
wrestleengage in a wrestling match; "The children wrestled in the garden"
wrestle;
wrestling;
grapple;
grappling;
hand-to-hand strugglethe act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat; "they had a fierce wrestle"; "we watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully"
wrestling;
rassling;
grapplingthe sport of hand-to-hand struggle between unarmed contestants who try to throw each other down