Sporting
adj.kind, resilientwarm
What it means
Fair, generous, and gracious toward others in competition or disagreement.
Reach for it when praising conduct that protects goodwill even when someone wants to win
The sporting captain applauded the opponent who had overturned her record.
Choose between these
8- playful
when cheerful willingness to take part or accept a challenge matters
not when Being game says nothing about fairness once competition starts.
- everyday
when rules and equal treatment are the main concern
not when A person can obey every rule without the warmth of sporting conduct.
- everyday
when friendliness survives teasing or rivalry
not when Good temper alone does not ensure fair play.
- warm
when giving credit or advantage to an opponent stands out
not when Generosity outside rivalry does not establish a sporting attitude.
- warm
when generosity of manner in victory or defeat is visible
not when Gracious applies broadly and does not specifically invoke fair competition.
- professional
sportsmanlike
when the context is literally competitive and conventional
not when Its gendered form can be awkward; sporting is shorter and broader.
- formal
when moral integrity under pressure deserves weight
not when It may sound grand for a friendly game.
- literary
when noble courtesy in defeat has a deliberately old-fashioned tone
not when It can sound theatrical or gendered in modern workplace praise.
Said against
3- unsporting
- petty
- dishonorable
It naturally appears in
3- sporting gesture
Allowing the delayed runner a fresh start was a sporting gesture.
- sporting chance
The revised schedule gave the smallest school a sporting chance.
- sporting opponent
A sporting opponent, Vesa pointed out the scorekeeper's error in her own favor.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense 3: fair, generous, or game opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.