sportive

adjective

sport·​ive ˈspȯr-tiv How to pronounce sportive (audio)
Synonyms of sportivenext
1
a
: frolicsome, playful
b
: ardent, wanton
2
: of or relating to sports and especially field sports
sportively adverb
sportiveness noun

Synonyms of sportive

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Examples of sportive in a Sentence

a sportive pastor who began every sermon with a joke
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 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 While English accents add an element of charm, the Boxing Day coda seems an odd way to wrap things, at least for those who know nothing of such sportive traditions. — Peter Debruge, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024 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

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sportive was in 1593

Rhymes for sportive

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Browse Nearby Words

sporting powder
sportive
sportive lemur
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Cite this Entry

“Sportive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportive. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sportive

adjective
sport·​ive ˈspōrt-iv How to pronounce sportive (audio)
ˈspȯrt-
: frolicsome, playful
sportively adverb
sportiveness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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