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Glite Dictionary
on the game

on the game

3 8.2
Fully focused and ready to do your best
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : en forma
  • She was fully on the game, leading her team to victory with her sharp strategies.
  • concentrate on the game

Examples

  • Sonny—all attention focused on the game—scrambles to his feet, legs churning to take off in pursuit of his friends.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Johnny and Gordo remain fixed on the game, oblivious to anything else.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Look, can you get your mind back on the game?

    Gallipoli (1981)

  • Coach has been able to keep him focused on the game and his studies while school is in session.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • May I suggest that from now on you keep your mind on the game?

    Fiction book (1994)

  • For the first few minutes, he was totally intent on the game.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • I'm trying to concentrate on the game.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • We were playing cards during the time, but we couldn't concentrate on the game.

    Stir (1980)

  • Sirr (Scott) struggles to stay focused on the game.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Hence, coping by ignoring the media and concentrating on the game is understandable.

    Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

to be on the ball
vson the game
  • Informal
13 6.3

To notice things quickly and act to fix them

includes active peak performance and full engagement, not only quick alertness
on one's game
vson the game
  • Informal
7.9

Doing something very well and showing your best skill

focuses more on alert engagement rather than only peak skill

Antonyms

unengaged
1 4.4

Not busy and able to help with other tasks

distracted
3.1

Not able to pay attention because your mind is on other things

How Alert

sharp
152 3.3
on the game
  • Informal
3 8.2
on the ball
  • Informal
9 5.6
attentive
61 3.0

Surface Forms

on the game positive

Morphology

on + the + game

The preposition 'on' marks a current active state and 'game' is extended metaphorically to performance, so the meaning 'performing at one's best/alert and engaged' is related to the literal parts but arises from an idiomatic extension (compare 'on one's game' / 'on top of one's game'). This connection is partly inferable by someone who knows the words, but the specific evaluative sense is conventional and may not be fully predictable without exposure.

Etymology

On the game may come from sports, where being actually on the game means standing on the field and taking part in the action. Imagine a player right in the play, watching every move and ready to act—so the saying now means 'alert' and 'performing at your best'.