Athlete
/ˈæθliːt/
nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
A person who is trained or skilled in sports and other forms of physical exercise.
/ˈæθliːt/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A person trained to compete in sports
She is a talented athlete.
💡 Simply: Someone good at sports.
More Examples
2
Many athletes train for years to compete at the Olympics.
How It's Used
Sports
"The athlete won the gold medal in the marathon."
Media
"News reports featured the athlete's impressive performance."
From Greek ἆθλητής (athlētēs), from ἄθλος (athlos) "contest, prize"
The word has been used in reference to competitive sports since ancient Greece.
Memory tip
Think 'athletic' – athletes are athletic!
Practice
athleetathliteathelete
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written