game
game — verb
1. to find and use ways to get a personal advantage from the rules or design of an
to find and use ways to get a personal advantage from the rules or design of an organization, system, or process — often a method others would call unfair or dishonest.
Some taxpayers try to game the system by declaring fake expenses.
collocation: game the system
Aylin discovered a way to game the airline's reward programme for extra miles.
The local hospital was caught gaming patient waiting-time targets.
Companies often game the tax regulations to reduce what they owe.
Professional athletes sometimes game the draft rules to join a preferred team.
- rig
stronger negative connotation; implies deliberate cheating rather than rule-bending
- exploit
broader; can be neutral or negative, and does not always imply dishonesty
- manipulate
applies to people or systems; 'game' is limited to systems and rules
- work around
less formal; suggests creative problem-solving without dishonest flavour
- comply
to follow rules properly rather than finding ways around them
文法句型
game + noun phrase (the system, the rules, the market)
用法筆記
The object is nearly always an abstract noun referring to a system, set of rules, or process — never a person. Frequently used in business and political contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to spend time playing computer games or video games as a leisure activity.
to spend time playing computer games or video games as a leisure activity.
Mauricio spends most weekends gaming with his friends online.
intransitive: gaming with friends
After finishing her homework, Hoa likes to game for about an hour before dinner.
Minho's parents limit how many hours he can game each school night.
The new graphics card makes it much smoother to game at high settings.
Leo prefers gaming on a console rather than a personal computer.
- play video games
the full, more explicit expression; suitable for all registers
文法句型
game (no object)
go gaming
用法筆記
Almost always used in informal contexts. The simple form 'I game' is acceptable, but 'I play games' or 'I play video games' remains more common in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. to risk money on the result of a game, race, competition, or other event in the
to risk money on the result of a game, race, competition, or other event in the hope of winning more money back.
Adaeze lost a large sum of money gaming at the casino last winter.
gaming = gambling (older usage)
The old gamblers would game on horse races every Saturday afternoon.
game on + [event] for betting
Beatrix warned her younger brother against gaming away his entire salary.
In the nineteenth century, gentlemen often gamed at exclusive private clubs.
Ryan could not stop himself from gaming on card games despite the mounting debts.
- save
to keep money rather than risk it
文法句型
game (no object)
game on + noun (horse, match, race)
用法筆記
This sense is now somewhat old-fashioned; 'gamble' is far more common in modern English. It survives mainly in historical contexts or in the derived noun 'gaming' (as in 'the gaming industry').
常見錯誤
game — noun
1. a form of play or sport that people take part in for enjoyment, usually with a s
a form of play or sport that people take part in for enjoyment, usually with a set of rules that tell players what they can and cannot do; also, the objects and tools used to play it
Sora and his brother spent the afternoon playing board games in the living room.
collocation: board game / card game / computer game
Bao taught his classmates a game that involves guessing words from drawings.
The children put away the boxed game after they finished playing with it.
Chess is a thinking game that takes years of practice to master well.
Zola opened the new game and spread the cards and dice across the table.
用法筆記
Often used in compound nouns such as board game, card game, video game, and party game to specify the type of activity.
常見錯誤
2. a single event in which people or teams compete against each other according to
a single event in which people or teams compete against each other according to set rules, with one side trying to win
The basketball game between the two schools drew a large crowd of supporters.
noun phrase: [sport] game between [teams]
Bilal watched every game of the World Cup on television last summer.
Our team lost the game by just one point in the final seconds of play.
Esteban bought tickets for the championship game months before the date.
The game was tied at two goals each until the referee blew the whistle.
用法筆記
Typically used with verbs like play, win, lose, watch, and host. The preposition against introduces the opponent: a game against Brazil.
常見錯誤
3. one of the smaller scoring units that together form a larger contest, especially
one of the smaller scoring units that together form a larger contest, especially in tennis, badminton, and volleyball
Zola won the first game of the tennis match in under ten minutes.
collocation: win / lose a game in [sport]
The server hit two aces in a single game to take the lead quickly.
Christopher lost the next game but fought back to win the set.
Each game in tennis is scored as fifteen, thirty, forty, and game.
- round
used in boxing and golf, not tennis
用法筆記
This sense applies mainly to tennis, badminton, and volleyball. In tennis, several games make up a set, and several sets make up a match.
常見錯誤
4. physical activities and team sports that are part of the school day for children
physical activities and team sports that are part of the school day for children, usually involving running, throwing, and ball games
The students have a games lesson every Friday afternoon on the field.
British English: games lesson / games period
Nora prefers art class to games because she does not enjoy running.
The school requires all children to change into sports kit for games.
Games at that school includes football, netball, and rounders each week.
- PE
abbreviation for physical education, used in both British and American English
- gym class
common in American English
- physical education
the formal name for the subject
用法筆記
Chiefly British English. In American English, PE (physical education) or gym class is more common for school sports activities.
常見錯誤
5. a large organized event that includes many different sports, often held over sev
a large organized event that includes many different sports, often held over several days with participants from many countries or regions
The Olympic Games bring together athletes from nearly every country in the world.
proper name: Olympic Games / Commonwealth Games / Asian Games
Meera won three medals at the Commonwealth Games last year in swimming.
Hosting the Games can cost a country billions of dollars in preparation.
The Asian Games feature sports that are popular right across the continent.
- tournament
smaller, usually for one sport
- championship
focuses on determining a winner
- competition
more general term
用法筆記
Almost always used with a capital letter when part of a proper name: the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games. Takes a plural verb: The Games are held every four years.
常見錯誤
6. the particular style or quality of performance that a player shows during a matc
the particular style or quality of performance that a player shows during a match or competition
Sivan's game has improved a lot since she started training every morning.
possessive + game: [person]'s game
The coach noticed that Esteban's game was much stronger on grass courts.
Arjun worked hard on his serve to raise the overall level of his game.
A player with a steady game will make fewer mistakes over a long match.
- form
current level of performance, not permanent style
- performance
broader term used for any activity
- playing ability
more formal and explicit
用法筆記
Often used with possessives (her game, his game) or preceded by a modifier describing quality (a strong game, a weak game, an all-round game). Common collocations: raise your game, improve your game.
常見錯誤
7. a situation or activity that someone does not treat seriously, regarding it as a
a situation or activity that someone does not treat seriously, regarding it as a joke even when other people feel it matters
To the politician, the public hearing was just a game that he had to sit through.
collocation: just a game — dismissing something as unimportant
Trang told her brother that losing his job was not a game — he needed to find work right away.
usage note: 'not a game' in warnings
Some young drivers treat the road like a game, which deeply worries their parents.
Esme grew upset when her colleagues treated her project like a game and refused to listen to her ideas.
Lucía warned the children that the spelling competition was not a game and they should prepare seriously.
- joke
more colloquial and dismissive — 'He thinks the whole thing is a joke'
- triviality
more formal — 'They dismissed her concerns as a triviality'
- serious business
the opposite — something that must be taken seriously
文法句型
treat [something] like a game
it's (all) a game to [someone]
[something] is not a game
用法筆記
Often appears in negative statements or in the fixed expressions 'it's all a game' and '[something] is not a game'. The speaker is usually frustrated that someone else is being too casual about a serious matter.
常見錯誤
8. a secret and dishonest plan that someone uses to get money or an unfair advantag
a secret and dishonest plan that someone uses to get money or an unfair advantage by tricking other people
The newspaper revealed a game run by a fake charity that took money from elderly people.
collocation: run a game — controlling a dishonest scheme
Aaron explained how the game worked: three people pretended to compete for a prize that did not exist.
The police finally understood the game — the company was selling products that arrived broken so customers would pay for replacements.
Marta knew it was a confidence game the moment the stranger asked for her bank details.
Bilal soon realised the whole investment offer was a game designed to take people's savings.
- honest deal
a fair and open transaction
文法句型
run a game
be a game
confidence game
用法筆記
The scheme is always dishonest. The word often appears in crime reports or warnings about fraud. 'Confidence game' (also 'con game') refers specifically to a scheme where the criminal first gains the victim's trust.
常見錯誤
9. a particular type of business or professional activity that someone does to earn
a particular type of business or professional activity that someone does to earn money, treated as a distinct area with its own rules and habits
Eshe has been in the fashion game for over twenty years and knows every designer in the industry.
collocation: the [field] game — informal reference to an industry
Min decided to leave the teaching game after ten years and start his own company.
The publishing game has changed a lot since digital books became popular.
People in the restaurant game often work very long hours during the holiday season.
Sophia told me that the music game is tough, but she loves creating songs too much to quit.
文法句型
the [field] game
be in the [field] game
the [field] game has changed
用法筆記
Always preceded by 'the' and a noun naming the field: 'the fashion game', 'the movie game', 'the restaurant game'. The noun phrase works as a single unit referring to that industry. Informal register; not used in formal business writing.
常見錯誤
10. the sex trade as a line of work; the business of providing sexual services for m
the sex trade as a line of work; the business of providing sexual services for money
The documentary showed how difficult it is for women to leave the game once they are trapped in it.
usage: 'the game' as a euphemism for prostitution
The social worker estimated that dozens of young people in the district were on the game out of economic necessity.
collocation: on the game — working as a prostitute
Élise met a former sex worker who spoke about the dangers that women face while on the game.
After the police raid, several women who had been forced into the game were offered shelter and counselling.
The charity provides medical and legal help to anyone who is trying to escape the game.
- sex work
the modern, less stigmatised term — 'sex work is legal in some countries'
- the oldest profession
an old euphemism, now dated and sometimes ironic
文法句型
on the game
in the game
the game
用法筆記
Used mainly in the fixed phrase 'on the game' (British English) with no article. Considered a slang or euphemistic term. The tone is generally neutral-to-negative, describing the situation rather than judging the person. Avoid using this term in formal writing about sex work.
常見錯誤
11. the world of illegal activities such as drug dealing or theft, regarded as a way
the world of illegal activities such as drug dealing or theft, regarded as a way of life that is hard to escape
Diya's brother got into the game at sixteen and spent a decade moving between drugs and petty theft.
collocation: get into the game — start a criminal lifestyle
The detective warned the teenager that life in the game only leads to prison or death.
usage: 'the game' as the criminal underworld
Eli knew several young men who had been in the game for years and could see no way out.
The former gang member now gives talks at schools about why he regrets entering the game.
Many young people in poor neighborhoods are drawn into the game because they see few other ways to earn money.
- the underworld
more formal and broader — 'the criminal underworld'
- a life of crime
descriptive rather than slang — 'he chose a life of crime'
- a straight life
a lawful, honest way of living — informal contrast
文法句型
in the game
into the game
get out of the game
the game
用法筆記
Used mainly in the fixed phrase 'in the game' without an article. Refers broadly to the criminal underworld as a whole — drug dealing, theft, robbery — rather than a specific scheme. The tone is somber and observational, not celebratory.
常見錯誤
12. creatures living in the wild that people chase and kill either to eat or for enj
creatures living in the wild that people chase and kill either to eat or for enjoyment; also, the meat of such creatures prepared as food
The hunters went into the forest early in the morning looking for game such as deer and wild turkeys.
collocation: game such as [examples]
The restaurant is famous for serving game like venison and pheasant during the autumn season.
collocation: game like venison
In some rural areas, local people still rely on wild game as their main source of protein.
The government sets strict limits on how much game each hunter may take during the season.
Aaron's grandfather taught him how to track game through the woods without making a sound.
文法句型
hunt game
game birds
game meat
wild game
用法筆記
Uncountable noun in this sense. 'Game' can refer either to the live animals ('game birds fly fast') or to the cooked meat ('game stew'). The term covers mammals (deer, rabbit, boar) and birds (pheasant, grouse, duck) that are legally hunted.
常見錯誤
game — adjective
1. describes a person who is ready to take on a new, difficult, or risky challenge
describes a person who is ready to take on a new, difficult, or risky challenge without needing much persuasion, especially when others might be unwilling.
Mert had never tried kayaking, but he was game to give it a go.
game + to-infinitive for willingness
When the office announced a charity skydive, several staff members were game for the idea.
game + for + noun phrase
Tariro is always game for a new adventure, from hiking across a desert to learning to surf.
The children were game to help their grandmother plant vegetables in the backyard.
It was a tough climb up the mountain, but the whole team remained game until the end.
文法句型
be game for [something]
be game to [do something]
用法筆記
Commonly used in British and Australian English. The adjective comes after the verb be, seem, or remain — never before a noun. A very common pattern is game for + noun or game to + infinitive.
常見錯誤
2. describes a leg, arm, or other body part that is permanently damaged by injury o
describes a leg, arm, or other body part that is permanently damaged by injury or illness and does not work normally.
The old fisherman walked with a game leg that he had injured during a storm at sea.
game + body part noun: game leg
Despite having a game arm, Élise still managed to cook dinner for her family every evening.
used before a noun: game arm
Christopher's game knee made running difficult, but he still enjoyed long walks in the park.
The horse had a game hoof from an old injury, so the rider kept to soft ground.
Shanti's grandfather had a game shoulder that ached whenever the weather turned cold and damp.
文法句型
game + [body part noun]
用法筆記
This sense is now considered old-fashioned or dated in modern English. It appears almost exclusively before a noun naming a body part (leg, knee, arm, shoulder). Learners are more likely to encounter injured, damaged, or bad used in the same position today.