sportsman

sportsman — noun

1. a man who regularly takes part in sporting activities, often as a skilled or pro

1.名詞B1
釋義

a man who regularly takes part in sporting activities, often as a skilled or professional participant

例句

Vikram has been a keen sportsman since he joined the school football team aged ten.

collocation: keen sportsman

Rafael, a retired sportsman, now coaches children at the local club every Saturday.

collocation: retired sportsman

同義詞
  • athlete

    broader term; includes men and women and covers all levels of sport

  • player

    more specific to a particular sport, e.g. a tennis player or football player

  • competitor

    emphasises the aspect of taking part in contests rather than recreational play

文法句型

sportsman + of [country/team]

用法筆記

Gendered term — specifically denotes a man. For a gender-neutral alternative, use ‘athlete’ or ‘sportsperson’.

常見錯誤

❌She is a great sportsman.
✅She is a great athlete.
💡‘Sportsman’ refers specifically to a male; use ‘athlete’ for women or in gender-neutral contexts.
❌He is a sportsman, so he must be good at tennis.
✅He is a keen sportsman who plays tennis and football.
💡‘Sportsman’ alone does not mean skilled; specify the sport or add an adjective like ‘keen’ or ‘top’.

2. a person who behaves with honesty, respect, and fairness when competing against

2.名詞B2
釋義

a person who behaves with honesty, respect, and fairness when competing against others in a sport or game

例句

Even after losing the final, Hugo was a true sportsman and congratulated his opponent.

pattern: a true sportsman + action showing grace

A good sportsman accepts the referee’s decision and shakes hands with the other team.

同義詞
  • good loser

    specifically about accepting defeat gracefully, a narrower meaning

  • sport

    informal British term for a good-natured, fair-minded person; broader than sport contexts

反義詞
  • bad loser

    someone who reacts angrily or unfairly when they lose

  • poor sport

    someone who behaves badly during or after a game, opposite of a good sportsman

文法句型

a [adjective] sportsman

be a sportsman

用法筆記

Most commonly appears in set phrases such as ‘a good sportsman’ or ‘a true sportsman’, where the focus is on the person’s character rather than their athletic ability.

常見錯誤

❌He is a sportsman so he won the race.
✅He is a good sportsman because he congratulated the winner.
💡‘Sportsman’ alone just means someone who plays sport; you need ‘good’ or ‘true’ to describe fair behaviour.