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junk sport

junk sport

8.4
An activity people think is not serious or important
  • noun
  • /dʒʌŋk spɔrt/
  • Informal
translation icon : deporte trivial
  • Many critics dismiss competitive eating competitions as a junk sport rather than a legitimate contest.

Examples

  • The rise of televised wrestling led some traditionalists to complain about the popularity of junk sports.

  • I think that extreme ironing is a junk sport.

  • He argued that the network should spend less time on junk sport and more on real athletics.

  • Many people consider competitive eating a junk sport.

  • Many critics dismiss competitive eating competitions as a junk sport rather than a legitimate contest.

  • The rise of televised wrestling led some traditionalists to complain about the popularity of junk sports.

  • He argued that the network should spend less time on junk sport and more on real athletics.

Synonyms

game
vsjunk sport
344 4.1

Something people treat as not serious or important

emphasizes poor quality or low value rather than just being frivolous

How Serious

recreational
84 3.9
junk sport
  • Informal
8.4
party game
8 1.2

Surface Forms

junk sport singular
junk sports plural

Morphology

junk + sport

The meaning 'a low-quality or trivial sport' is a straightforward composition of 'junk' (worthless, discarded) used attributively and 'sport' (organized activity). This follows a common pattern (e.g. 'junk food', 'junk mail') so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Junk sport uses the image of junk (trash) plus sport to show a competition is cheap and not serious. That's why people call a showy or low-quality contest 'trivial' or 'not real sport'.