What are words used in sports? What sports are in English?
This post is an essential guide to the most important sports vocabulary with meaning. It is about general sports terms and definitions. (Sport words)
Sports Vocabulary with Meaning/ Sports Terms
Below is a list of sports vocabulary. The sports words are listed with short and simple definitions.
- Athlete
A person who plays sports
- Athletics
Sports in which people run, jump, or throw things to see who is the best.
- Player
Someone who plays a sport
- Team
A group of sportsmen who play together.
- Captain
The leader of a team or group.
- Coach
A coach is a person who teaches sports.
- Referee
A person who controls a game.
- Amateur
A person who plays a sport for enjoyment, not as a job.
- Professional
A person who plays a sport as a paid job. Someone who earns money for doing a sport is a professional.
- Match
A formal contest or game.
- Goal
The act of kicking or hitting the ball into the goal; a point that is scored for this.
- Spectators
People who are watching a sporting event.
- Fans
People who admire or enjoy watching a game like football. (Football fans)
- Supporters
People who support a player or a sports team. (Football supporters).
- Score
A number of goals or points each player or team has.
In most sports, a score of zero is called “nil”. However, in tennis and table tennis, it’s called “love”.
A score of 1:1, 2:2, 3:3, etc. is called “one all”, “two all”, “three all”, etc.
- Cup
A prize, shaped like a bowl, usually made of gold or silver.
- Medal
A piece of metal, usually round or shaped like a cross, given to someone who has won a game or contest.
- Contest
A competition or game in which people compete.
- Rules
The laws of a game or contest.
- Tournament
A sports competition. ( A tennis tournament)
- Champion
A competitor that has defeated all others in a game or contest.
- Award
A prize, a payment, etc. given to someone in recognition of an achievement
Sports vocabulary (vocabulary related to sports): Verbs
Here is a sport vocabulary list of verbs
- Exercise
To run or play sports so that you can be healthy.
- Train
To prepare for a sports event by exercising. (He’s training for the race.)
- Attack
To take the initiative in a contest, game, etc. to attempt to score a goal or point.
- Defend
To try to prevent your opponent from scoring a goal or point.
- Praise
To show that you like someone or something. (The coach praised the player for scoring a brilliant goal.)
- Last
To continue or go on for an amount of time. (The football match lasted for about 2 hours.)
- Score
To gain or achieve a point or a goal in a game.
- Win
To be victorious or come first in a contest, a race, etc.
- Lose
To fail to win a game, a contest, etc.
- Beat
If you beat someone in a contest, a competition, a game, etc., you win.
- Defeat
To win a victory over a player or team in a competition or game.
- Draw
To end a game or match with an equal result, so that no one wins.
- Support
To want a team, a player, a group, etc. to succeed/win.
- Cheer on
To encourage a player or a team by shouting.
- Compete
To take part in a competition or contest.
- Award
To give someone an award.
- Whistle
The referee whistles when the players break the game rules.
Sports vocabulary / sport words: Places where you play or do sports
An area painted with lines for playing particular sports, especially football. (A football/hockey/cricket pitch)
- Court
The place where you play tennis.
- Course (= golf course)
A large area of land where you can play golf.
- Track
A piece of land with special surfaces for people, cars, motorcycles, etc to have races on. ( a running track for example).
- Pool (= swimming pool)
An area of water that has been designed for people to swim in.
- Slope
An area of land that is part of a mountain where you can go skiing.
- Ring
A square area on a platform, marked off by ropes, where boxers or wrestlers fight.
- Rink (=ice rink or skating rink)
A specially prepared flat surface of ice where you can ice skate.
Sports vocabulary with meaning: Popular sports (sports words)
- Football
- Basketball
- Handball
- Volleyball
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Table tennis
- Squash
- Cricket
- Rugby
- Hockey
- Athletics
- Gymnastics
- Cycling
- Boxing
- Wrestling
- Horse-racing
- Motor racing
- Sailing
- Windsurfing
- Snooker
- Weight-lifting
Sports equipment
- Swimsuit
- Clubs
- Cue
- Balls
- Bat
- Ski sticks
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Gumshield
- Racket
- Running shoes
- Saddle
- Skates
- Parallel bars
- Vault
- Weights
Sport vocabulary: Gym workout vocabulary
- Bars
- Barbell
- To bounce
- To bulk up
- To burn calories
- A cable
- To cool down
- To do abs
- Abdominal crunch
- An exercise bike
- An exercise ball
- To gain weight
- To lose weight
- To get fit
- Jumping jacks
- To pump iron
- Push-ups
- A skipping rope
- To stretch
- To take a breather
- A weight plate
Highly useful links about English vocabulary:
| Education Vocabulary |
| Money Vocabulary |
| Intelligence Vocabulary |
| Hotel Vocabulary |
| Most Important Words With EE |
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