sportsmanship
/ˈspɔːtsmənʃɪp/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈspɔːrtsmənʃɪp/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈspȯrts-mən-ˌship/ (ame, mw)
sportsmanship — noun
1. the attitude of competing in athletics with honesty — sticking to the rules, tre
the attitude of competing in athletics with honesty — sticking to the rules, treating teammates and opponents with respect, and accepting the result with grace whether you win or lose.
Tariq shook hands with every player on the losing team, showing real sportsmanship after the final whistle.
collocation: show + sportsmanship
The coach praised Gabriela's sportsmanship when she helped an injured opponent stand up during the basketball game.
typical context: praise / value of sportsmanship
Booing the other team after a missed penalty shows poor sportsmanship and embarrasses the home crowd.
Good sportsmanship means accepting the referee's decision, even when Minh believed the foul call was unfair.
Young athletes at the summer camp learn sportsmanship by congratulating winners and thanking the volunteers.
- fair play
near-synonym; broader and not limited to sport — applies to any competitive activity
- gamesmanship
false friend — actually means bending the rules to win without breaking them; almost the opposite tone
- fairness
general quality; lacks the sport-specific and respect-for-opponent overtones
- unsportsmanlike conduct
the formal term used by referees and officials
- poor sportsmanship
everyday phrasing for the same negative behaviour
文法句型
good/poor sportsmanship
show sportsmanship
用法筆記
Uncountable; takes adjectives like 'good', 'poor', 'true', 'real'. Frequently appears with verbs 'show', 'display', 'demonstrate', 'teach', 'learn'. Not used in plural form.