Sportsmanship Vocabulary

noun the action of attacking without provocation; hostile or violent behavior or attitudes

• The psychologist studied the root causes of aggression in children.
• He always gets into fights because of his aggression.
• Don't mess with him, he's got a lot of aggression.
• Her words were like daggers, filled with aggression.

noun a noisy argument or disagreement, especially in public

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• The altercation between the two parties was quickly resolved by the intervention of the authorities.
• I heard there was a big altercation at the party last night.
• Things got heated and turned into a full-blown altercation at the bar.
• The altercation between tradition and progress is a constant theme in the novel.

noun a person who boasts about their achievements or possessions

• He was often seen as a braggart due to his tendency to boast about his accomplishments.
• Don't pay attention to him, he's just a braggart trying to impress everyone.
• That guy is such a braggart, always talking about how great he is.
• His inflated ego made him come across as a braggart in social situations.

noun the act of striking the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound

verb to strike the palms of the hands together with a sudden explosive sound

• The audience began to clap as the orchestra finished their performance.
• Let's clap for the winner of the talent show!
• I'll give you a clap on the back for that great presentation.
• Her words were like a clap of thunder, shocking everyone in the room.

adjective showing unwarranted confidence or arrogance

• He was so cocksure of his abilities that he never doubted himself.
• Don't be so cocksure about winning the game, anything can happen.
• He struts around like he's cocksure, but deep down he's just insecure.
• Her cocksure attitude was a shield to hide her insecurities.

adjective deserving praise or approval

• The student's dedication to their studies is commendable.
• Your commitment to helping others is truly commendable.
• Your work ethic is on point, that's commendable.
• The way she handled the situation with grace was commendable.

noun a person who lacks the courage to do or endure dangerous or unpleasant things

adjective showing a lack of courage or bravery

• The soldier was labeled a coward for fleeing from the battlefield.
• Don't be a coward, stand up for what you believe in.
• He's such a chicken, always backing out of challenges. What a coward!
• Choosing to ignore the problem makes you a coward in the face of adversity.

verb to cause someone to lose confidence or enthusiasm; to prevent or try to prevent someone from doing something

• It is important for teachers to discourage cheating in schools.
• My parents always discourage me from staying out too late.
• I always try to discourage my friends from making bad decisions.
• The storm clouds seemed to discourage any hope of a sunny day.

noun a lack of respect or courtesy

verb to show a lack of respect or courtesy towards someone or something

• Disrespect towards authority figures is not tolerated in this organization.
• Don't disrespect your elders like that.
• She straight up disrespected him in front of everyone.
• His actions showed a blatant disrespect for the rules.

noun the quality of being free from bias, injustice, or dishonesty; impartial and just treatment

• The principle of fairness dictates that everyone should be treated equally under the law.
• It's not fair that she always gets to choose where we go for lunch.
• That's not cool, man. Where's the fairness in that?
• In the game of life, fairness is like a rare gem that is hard to come by.

noun mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation

• The soldier displayed great fortitude in the face of danger.
• She showed a lot of fortitude when dealing with the difficult situation.
• You gotta have some serious fortitude to survive that challenge.
• Mental fortitude is like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly.

verb to dwell on one's own success or another's misfortune with smugness or malignant pleasure

• It is not polite to gloat over someone else's misfortune.
• She couldn't help but gloat over her rival's failure.
• He's always gloating over his wins like he's better than everyone else.
• The sun seemed to gloat over the earth as it set in a blaze of colors.

noun favor or goodwill

• She moved with grace and elegance as she greeted the guests at the formal event.
• He tripped over his own feet, but managed to recover with a bit of grace.
• She handled the situation with so much grace, it was impressive.
• The dancer's movements were like poetry in motion, a true display of grace.

verb past tense of humble, meaning to lower someone in dignity or importance

adjective feeling or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance

• I was truly humbled by the recognition I received at the awards ceremony.
• I felt so humbled when my friends surprised me with a birthday party.
• Getting a promotion at work really humbled me, I couldn't believe it!
• The vastness of the universe always leaves me feeling humbled and small in comparison.

noun none

verb to provoke or intensify strong feelings or reactions

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• The doctor advised against using any products that may inflame the skin.
• I accidentally inflamed my allergies by playing with my friend's cat.
• Don't inflame the situation by bringing up old arguments.
• Her words had the power to inflame the hearts of the audience.

adjective having qualities traditionally associated with men, such as strength or courage

• He possessed a strong and manly demeanor that commanded respect from those around him.
• The manly way he chopped wood impressed everyone at the campsite.
• He's always trying to act all manly in front of his friends.
• His manly courage in the face of danger inspired others to follow his lead.

noun courage, daring, boldness

• She displayed great moxie in her approach to solving the complex problem.
• I love her moxie, she always goes after what she wants with confidence.
• That guy has serious moxie, he's not afraid to take risks.
• Having the moxie to stand up for what you believe in is a true sign of strength.

noun a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of eleven players on a large field

adjective unfair or dishonest

• His behavior at the meeting was simply not cricket.
• Skipping class is just not cricket, you know?
• Cheating on the exam is totally not cricket.
• The way she treated her friends was just not cricket.

adjective a descriptive word that modifies a noun or pronoun, indicating a quality or attribute

• The candidate had a respectable background in law before running for office.
• She comes from a respectable family with a long history in the community.
• That new restaurant is pretty respectable, I heard the food is amazing.
• His respectable demeanor hid the fact that he was actually quite rebellious.

verb to make someone annoyed or irritated

• The controversial topic seemed to rile up the audience during the debate.
• Don't let his comments rile you up, he's just trying to get a reaction.
• His constant teasing really riled me up.
• The unexpected turn of events seemed to rile the calm waters of their relationship.

noun a noisy disturbance or quarrel

• The political debate escalated into a ruction between the two candidates.
• There was a huge ruction at the party last night, everyone was arguing.
• I heard there was a massive ruction at the club last weekend.
• The decision to close the factory caused a ruction among the workers.

noun a gesture of respect, homage, or polite recognition, especially one made to or by a person when arriving or departing

verb to greet or address with an expression of respect, welcome, or goodwill

• The soldiers stood at attention to salute their commanding officer.
• He gave a quick salute before heading off to work.
• Yo, give me a salute before you leave!
• The artist's latest masterpiece is a salute to the beauty of nature.

noun a riverboat used as a theater or restaurant

verb to behave in a showy or ostentatious manner

• The showboat was a popular form of entertainment in the early 20th century.
• That guy is such a showboat, always trying to steal the spotlight.
• Don't be such a showboat, just let someone else have a turn.
• His flashy car is like a showboat, drawing attention wherever he goes.

noun a person who avoids work or effort

adjective relating to or characteristic of a slacker

• The company decided to terminate the slacker for consistently failing to meet deadlines.
• I can't believe that slacker called in sick again.
• Don't be such a slacker, get your work done!
• His reputation as a slacker in the office is starting to affect his career prospects.

adjective showing or fond of sports or athletic activities; playful or lively

• The sportive young man excelled in various athletic activities.
• She's always been very sportive and loves to play basketball with her friends.
• That dude is so sportive, he can outplay anyone on the field.
• His sportive spirit carried him through the toughest challenges in life.

noun a cautious or careful distance maintained in order to avoid trouble or danger

• It is advisable to give a wide berth to individuals who exhibit unethical behavior.
• I always give that grumpy neighbor a wide berth to avoid any unnecessary drama.
• I make sure to give that sketchy guy at the party a wide berth.
• He decided to give the topic a wide berth in conversation to avoid any conflict.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite

• He may talk a good game, but his actions speak louder than words.
• She talks a good game, but can she actually deliver?
• Don't listen to him, he just talks a good game to impress people.
• The politician talks a good game, but is he really making any progress?

noun a sudden and abrupt decision to leave a game or activity out of frustration or anger

• The player decided to rage-quit the game after losing multiple times in a row.
• He rage-quit as soon as he got eliminated from the tournament.
• She was so frustrated that she just rage-quit and turned off her console.
• Sometimes it's better to take a break and cool off rather than rage-quit in anger.

noun a person who acts dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage

• The company conducted an investigation and found evidence that he was a cheater.
• I heard from a reliable source that he's a cheater.
• Don't trust him, he's a total cheater.
• In the game of life, cheaters never prosper.

adjective showing a lack of sportsmanship or fair play

• The player received a warning for his unsportsmanlike conduct on the field.
• He got called out for being unsportsmanlike during the game.
• That was a real jerk move, totally unsportsmanlike.
• Her unsportsmanlike behavior off the court caused a lot of drama.

noun a person who behaves in a rude or aggressive manner while wearing lycra clothing

• The lycra lout disrupted the peaceful protest with their rowdy behavior.
• That lycra lout always shows off at the gym, thinking they're better than everyone else.
• I can't stand that lycra lout, always hogging the machines at the gym.
• She described him as a lycra lout, always trying to show off his wealth and status.

noun a whip is a noun, which is a flexible piece of leather or similar material used for hitting or urging on animals or as a punishment

adjective fair is an adjective, which means treating people equally without favoritism or discrimination

• It is important that everyone is given a fair crack of the whip in the decision-making process.
• I just want to have a fair crack of the whip when it comes to choosing where we eat tonight.
• I reckon it's only fair that everyone gets a fair crack of the whip in the game.
• In order for the team to succeed, each member must be given a fair crack of the whip to contribute their skills.