ATHLETE

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does athlete mean? 

• ATHLETE (noun)
  The noun ATHLETE has 1 sense:

1. a person trained to compete in sports

  Familiarity information: ATHLETE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ATHLETE (noun)

Meaning:

A person trained to compete in sports

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

athlete; jock

Hypernyms ("athlete" is a kind of...):

contestant (a person who participates in competitions)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "athlete"):

acrobat (an athlete who performs acts requiring skill and agility and coordination)

sharpshooter (an athlete noted for accurate aim)

shot putter (an athlete who competes in the shot put)

skater (someone who skates)

skier (someone who skis)

sledder (someone who rides a sled)

soccer player (an athlete who plays soccer)

sport; sportsman; sportswoman (someone who engages in sports)

striker (a forward on a soccer team)

reserve; second-stringer; substitute (an athlete who plays only when a starter on the team is replaced)

swimmer (a trained athlete who participates in swimming meets)

swinger (someone who swings sports implements)

tennis player (an athlete who plays tennis)

pole jumper; pole vaulter; vaulter (an athlete who jumps over a high crossbar with the aid of a long pole)

lifter; weightlifter (an athlete who lifts barbells)

winger ((sports) player in wing position)

runner (a trained athlete who competes in foot races)

pro; professional (an athlete who plays for pay)

pentathlete (an athlete who competes in a pentathlon)

amateur (does not play for pay)

ball hawk (a team athlete who is skilled at stealing or catching the ball)

ballplayer; baseball player (an athlete who plays baseball)

basketball player; basketeer; cager (an athlete who plays basketball)

climber (someone who climbs as a sport; especially someone who climbs mountains)

cricketer (an athlete who plays cricket)

football player; footballer (an athlete who plays American football)

gymnast (an athlete who is skilled in gymnastics)

hockey player; ice-hockey player (an athlete who plays hockey)

Olympian (an athlete who participates in the Olympic games)

letterman (an athlete who has earned a letter in a school sport)

lacrosse player (an athlete who plays lacrosse)

jumper (an athlete who competes at jumping)

hurdler (an athlete who runs the hurdles)

hooker ((rugby) the player in the middle of the front row of the scrum who tries to capture the ball with the foot)

Instance hyponyms:

Dick Fosbury; Fosbury; Richard D. Fosbury (United States athlete who revolutionized the high jump by introducing the Fosbury flop in the 1968 Olympics (born in 1947))

Bob Mathias; Mathias; Robert Bruce Mathias (United States athlete who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon (born in 1930))

James Cleveland Owens; Jesse Owens; Owens (United States athlete and Black American whose success in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin outraged Hitler (1913-1980))

James Francis Thorpe; Jim Thorpe; Thorpe (outstanding United States athlete (1888-1953))

Babe Didrikson; Babe Zaharias; Didrikson; Mildred Ella Didrikson; Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias; Zaharias (outstanding United States athlete (1914-1956))