Sports: English Vocabulary List

a game that is played on grass and involves a series of hoops through which the players must roll wooden balls using hammer-like sticks called mallets

"We played croquet on the lawn."

"We play croquet on the lawn during sunny weekend afternoons with friends."

a sport in which two players hold each other while trying to throw or force the other one to the ground

"Wrestling is a tough sport."

"Wrestling is a physically demanding sport that requires strength agility and mental toughness."

the activity or sport of descending a cliff using rope that is coiled around the body

"Rappelling down the cliff required courage."

"We learn rappelling during the adventure camp to descend steep cliffs safely."

a competition consisting of ten different sports that takes place over two days

"He competes in decathlon."

"The decathlon includes ten track and field events contested over two consecutive days of competition."

one of a series of international motorcycle or car racing competitions

"They watched the Grand Prix."

"The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most famous races."

a game played on a field with two teams, each consisting of ten players using long-handled sticks with a net to throw, carry, and catch the ball

"Lacrosse is fast."

"Lacrosse is a team sport played with sticks and a ball."

the sport or competition in which a discus is thrown as far as possible

"He threw the discus farther than anyone else."

"He learned how to throw discus during the school athletics training last month."

a sporting event consisting of a series of races between rowboats or sailing boats

"They sailed in the regatta."

"The annual regatta attracted over one hundred sailing crews from twenty different countries this year."

a game similar to baseball but on a smaller field in which players use a larger and softer ball

"We play softball every Saturday."

"We play softball in the park every Sunday afternoon with friends."

an athletic race, usually 3000 meters, run on a track with barriers and water jumps

"The steeplechase is tough."

"The steeplechase runners had to jump over thirty five barriers and seven water jumps during the race."

a league of the highest-ranking in a particular sport, especially baseball

"Major league baseball."

"He dreams of playing in the major league baseball one day in the future."

a sporting contest typically consisting of swimming, cycling, and running taking place in three different events

"Complete first triathlon."

"She trained hard for many months to complete her first triathlon successfully last summer vacation."

a cycling race consisting of 21 stages held annually for men primarily in France

"Watch Tour de France."

"We watch Tour de France every summer on television with great interest."

a man who is making a public appearance for the first time, especially in movies or sports

"Young debutant performed."

"The promising young debutant signed a lucrative contract with the major league baseball team after his stellar performance."

an individual, team, etc. who is regarded as weaker compared to others and has little chance of success as a result

"Team is underdog."

"Everyone loves cheering for the underdog who wins against all expectations and stronger opponents."

a field painted with parallel lines in which American football is played

"They play on the gridiron."

"The football players ran onto the gridiron as the crowd roared with excitement and anticipation."

the controlled advancement of a ball by a player using repeated slight touches, kicks, or pushes to keep possession and move past opponents

"Good dribble skill."

"He has good dribble skill and can pass defenders easily during the football match."

an act of dropping or failing to catch the ball properly

"He made a fumble."

"The running back lost possession after a vicious hit causing a fumble that the defense recovered."

a sports event with two players or teams competing against one another

"The matchup was very exciting."

"The highly anticipated matchup between the two undefeated teams sold out the stadium weeks in advance."

an award, typically a flag or banner, presented to the champion of a professional baseball league

"The team won the pennant."

"The team celebrated winning the pennant by spraying champagne in the locker room for hours."

a structure used in sports competitions consisting of three adjacent platforms of different levels, on which winners stand to receive their awards

"Stand on podium."

"The winner stood on the podium to receive the gold medal yesterday."

the act of descending a cliff using rope that is coiled around the body

"The rappel was exciting."

"The climber had to rappel down the cliff face because the storm was approaching quickly."

athletic training that consists of activities with alternating periods of high and low-intensity activity

"Interval training effective."

"Interval training is very effective for improving fitness and burning fat quickly."

to play against the rules of a game

"He fouled the basketball player."

"The basketball player was called for a foul when he made illegal contact with the shooter's arm during the jump shot attempt."

to take drugs or substances intended to enhance athletic performance

"Athletes dope to win."

"The athlete was banned from competition for trying to dope himself with illegal performance enhancing drugs."

a major championship or series of victories in sports, typically tennis, golf, or baseball

"The player celebrated his grand slam victory"

"Hitting a grand slam with the bases loaded is every baseball player's dream moment."

a weight category between lightweight and middleweight in professional boxing and similar sports, typically 63–67 kg or 139–147 lb

"He fights as welterweight."

"The welterweight champion defended his title for the fifth time by knockout in the third round."

a sport or competition in which a light spear is thrown as far as possible

"The athlete threw the javelin."

"She can throw javelin very far during the sports competition every year."

a person who is new and inexperienced in a position

"The novice skier fell several times."

"She is a complete novice in skiing but she learns very quickly every weekend."

a league or category ranked according to quality, ability, or performance

"It's a tough division."

"The football team was relegated to a lower division after a series of poor performances."

to make someone or something unconscious

"The boxer knocked out his opponent."

"The champion boxer managed to knock out his opponent with a powerful left hook in the third round of the match."