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Glite Dictionary
😄 Playful 🏅 About sports
sportive

sportive

1 7.3
Playful and lively, someone enjoys small jokes and games
  • adjective
  • /ˈspɔrtɪv/
  • Literature
translation icon : juguetón

Examples

  • But l, that am not shaped for sportive tricks, nor made to court an amorous looking glass.

    Anonymous (2011)

  • The children laughed and played a sportive game in the park.

  • During the festival, the atmosphere was very sportive, filled with joy and laughter.

  • Her sportive spirit made the party lively and fun for everyone.

Synonyms

merry
vssportive
114 1.0

Happy and lively, full of fun and energy

is specifically fond of frolicking and light-hearted active play
lively
vssportive
111 1.3

Having a lot of energy and enthusiasm

is more specific to playful frolics and light-hearted social fun
playful
vssportive
79 1.6

Full of fun and energy and liking jokes or games

focuses more on lively frolicking and merry social play
bouncy
vssportive
16 2.0

Full of energy and cheerful movement

is about cheerful social play rather than mainly bouncing movement
jolly
vssportive
  • UK
7 2.5

Fun you get from playful actions like jokes or pranks

leans more toward gentle merry frolics rather than mischief-based fun
rollicking
vssportive
2 6.0

Lively and full of fun, making people laugh

is calmer and more about gentle merrymaking than loud exuberance
frolicsome
vssportive
1 7.6

Full of playful, lively energy

is broader, meaning merry behaviour rather than active running play
coltish
vssportive
1 7.8

Being playful and lively like a young horse

is gentler and more light-hearted rather than rough or loud
ludic
vssportive
1 9.9

Playful in a way that involves games or fun

is more about actual merry action rather than an abstract play quality
frolicky
vssportive
8.2

Playful and lively in a happy, energetic way

is the general playful term without stressing active boisterous fun
gamesome
vssportive
  • Archaic
8.8

Likely to play and tease others in a lively way

focuses more on merry frolics than teasing or provocation
larky
vssportive
  • UK
7.4

Playful and silly in a way that makes people laugh

is more about merry running fun than joking or teasing

Antonyms

serious
452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

How Playful

playful
79 1.6
frisky
33 3.2
sportive
  • Literature
1 7.3
reserved
3.7
serious
452 1.4

Surface Forms

sportive positive
sportier comparative
sportiest superlative

Morphology

sportive = sport (semi-transparent) = sport + ive

The sense 'playful' relies on an older sense of 'sport' = 'play', so the link is present but not the most obvious to learners who associate 'sport' with athletics.

Etymology

Sportive also keeps the older sense of sport as 'play' or 'fun', so it can mean 'playful' or given to light, happy frolic. So sportive in this sense describes a person or mood that is joyful and full of play.