athlete
gb/ˈæθlˌit/ us/ˈæθlˌit/
A2
English
~ 3600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person skilled in sports
A person who plays sports and is good at them.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is an athlete
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'athlete' with 'athletic'. 'Athlete' is a noun (a person), while 'athletic' is an adjective (describes someone as fit or sporty).
Synonyms
sportsperson (More formal and gender-neutral term for someone who plays sports.)
|
player (General term for someone taking part in a sport or game; less emphasis on skill level.)
Antonyms
spectator (A person who watches sports rather than plays them.)
|
noncompetitor (Someone who does not take part in competitive sports.)
Collocations
professional athlete
|Olympic athlete
|student athlete
|track athlete
|star athlete
Themes
sports
|health
|fitness
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The athlete broke the world record in the 100 meters.
- She was voted the best athlete of the year by the local newspaper.
- Many athletes train for years before competing in the Olympics.
- The school offers scholarships to talented student athletes.
Learner examples
- He is a very fast athlete.
- My sister is an athlete at her school.
- The athlete runs every morning.
- She wants to be an athlete when she grows up.
Grammar
Dictionary form
athlete
IPA
GB/ˈæθlˌit/
US/ˈæθlˌit/
Syllables & stress
ath - lete (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ath)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: athlete
- Plural: athletes
Word family
Forms
athletes
noun
Core family
athletic
adjective B1
athletics
noun
Related words
athletically
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unathletic
adjective
Advanced or less common
athleticism
noun B2
Expressions
Olympic athlete
1/oʊlˈɪmpɪk ˈæθlˌit/
fixed phrase
Competitor in the Olympic Games
An athlete who takes part in the Olympic Games.
Examples
- She trained for years to become an Olympic athlete.
- The city welcomed its Olympic athletes with a parade.
professional athlete
1/pɹəfˈɛʃənəl ˈæθlˌit/
fixed phrase
Person paid to play sports
An athlete who gets money for playing sports.
Examples
- He became a professional athlete at the age of 19.
- Professional athletes often have strict training schedules.
student athlete
1/stˈudənt ˈæθlˌit/
fixed phrase
Student who plays competitive sports
A student who also plays sports for their school or college.
Examples
- Being a student athlete requires balancing classes and training.
- The university offers special programs to support student athletes.