sporting
sporting — adjective
1. connected with organised games, athletic activities, or physical recreation that
connected with organised games, athletic activities, or physical recreation that people do for enjoyment or competition.
Talia bought new sporting equipment for her weekly tennis training sessions.
collocation: sporting equipment / sporting goods
The school built a large sporting complex that includes two swimming pools.
collocation: sporting complex / sporting event
Anong works at a shop that sells sporting goods and team uniforms.
Daichi's favourite sporting event is the annual city marathon in spring.
文法句型
sporting + noun
用法筆記
Nearly always used before a noun. Unlike sporty, which describes a person's active lifestyle or love of sport, sporting describes the things, places, or equipment connected with sport.
常見錯誤
2. showing honest and generous conduct when dealing with rivals, particularly in th
showing honest and generous conduct when dealing with rivals, particularly in the context of a match or contest.
Tariq showed a sporting spirit by helping his opponent up after the tackle.
collocation: sporting spirit / sporting behaviour
Nala received a trophy for her sporting behaviour during the final match.
It was a sporting gesture to admit the referee had called correctly.
Lakshmi's coach praised her for the sporting attitude she showed after losing.
- fair-minded
applies to a person's character in any context, not just competition
- gracious
focuses on kindness and courtesy, often in defeat
- sportsmanlike
more formal and less common; directly refers to the ideals of sportsmanship
- unsporting
the direct opposite; describes behaviour that is unfair or disrespectful
文法句型
sporting + noun
verb + sporting
用法筆記
Commonly paired with nouns like spirit, gesture, behaviour, attitude, and conduct. When used after a verb (e.g. 'That was very sporting of you'), it describes a person's action rather than the person themselves.
常見錯誤
3. involving the kind of risk or uncertainty that a person willingly accepts, simil
involving the kind of risk or uncertainty that a person willingly accepts, similar to the risks an athlete expects to face during a competition.
Asher made a sporting wager with his brother on who would finish first.
collocation: sporting wager / sporting bet
Tomás took a sporting chance when he invested in the new coffee shop.
Élise described the mountain climb as a sporting adventure full of unknowns.
Jabari's sporting approach to business means he rarely chooses the safe option.
- risky
more direct and neutral; does not carry the positive connotation of boldness
- adventurous
emphasises excitement and exploration rather than potential loss
文法句型
sporting + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used in the phrase a sporting chance, though that expression has its own distinct sense (see sense 4). Distinguish this sense as emphasising the willingness to face risk rather than the probability of success.
常見錯誤
4. a reasonably good possibility of achieving a desired outcome, particularly when
a reasonably good possibility of achieving a desired outcome, particularly when the odds are not certain but are favourable enough to make the attempt worthwhile.
The underdog team still has a sporting chance of winning the final match.
fixed phrase: a sporting chance of + gerund
Jabari thought he had a sporting chance of getting the sales job.
With grades like those, Ishaan has a sporting chance of getting into medical school.
The doctor gave the patient a sporting chance of making a full recovery.
Élise knew she had only a sporting chance, but she entered the race anyway.
- a fair chance
more general and less idiomatic; neutral about whether the odds are good
- a decent chance
informal; suggests the speaker is cautiously optimistic
- a fighting chance
stronger idiom suggesting the person will have to struggle but can succeed
- no chance
complete lack of possibility
- a slim chance
very low probability, opposite of a reasonably good chance
文法句型
a sporting chance + of + -ing / noun
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the fixed expression a sporting chance. Unlike sense 3, this sense focuses on the probability of success rather than the willingness to take a risk. Can appear in negative or conditional contexts ('not a sporting chance' or 'if you had a sporting chance').
常見錯誤
5. relating to a lifestyle focused on pleasure-seeking activities, especially gambl
relating to a lifestyle focused on pleasure-seeking activities, especially gambling and games of chance that involve betting money.
The novel describes a sporting gentleman who spent his evenings at the card tables.
dated register: 'sporting gentleman' = gentleman gambler
Tariq's great-grandfather was known as a sporting man who enjoyed horse racing.
The club was frequented by sporting types who gambled late into the night.
Tomás's uncle lived a sporting life and spent his weekends at racetracks.
- dissipated
more negative in tone; suggests a self-destructive pursuit of pleasure
- gambling
more direct but narrower; a gambling man focuses on bets specifically
文法句型
sporting + noun
用法筆記
Now considered dated or literary. You are most likely to encounter this sense in historical fiction, period writing, or works describing 19th-century social life. Modern readers would typically interpret sporting in one of the earlier senses above.