game

1 of 4

noun

1
a(1)
: a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other
(2)
: a division of a larger contest
(3)
: the manner of playing in a contest
(4)
: a particular aspect or phase of play in a game or sport
a football team's kicking game
(5)
: the set of rules governing a game
(6)
: the number of points necessary to win
(7)
: points scored in certain card games (as in all fours) by a player whose cards count up the highest
b
games plural : organized athletics
c(1)
: a field of gainful activity : line
the newspaper game
(2)
: any activity undertaken or regarded as a contest involving rivalry, strategy, or struggle
the dating game
the game of politics
also : the course or period of such an activity
got into aviation early in the game
(3)
: area of expertise : specialty sense 3
comedy is not my game
2
a(1)
: activity engaged in for diversion or amusement : play
(2)
: the equipment for a game
b
: often derisive or mocking jesting : fun, sport
make game of a nervous player
3
a
: a procedure or strategy for gaining an end : tactic
b
: an illegal or shady scheme or maneuver : racket
4
a(1)
: animals under pursuit or taken in hunting
especially : wild animals hunted for sport or food
(2)
: the flesh of game animals
b
: a target or object especially of ridicule or attack
often used in the phrase fair game
c
archaic : pluck
gamelike adjective

game

2 of 4

adjective (1)

1
a
: willing or ready to proceed
were game for anything
b
: having or showing a resolute unyielding spirit
2
: of or relating to game
game laws
gamely adverb
gameness noun

game

3 of 4

verb

gamed; gaming; games

transitive + intransitive

1
: to manipulate, exploit, or cheat in (a system, a situation, etc.) slyly or dishonestly for personal gain
game the tax system
… a male bus driver who tried to game a drug test by using his wife's urine …Chuck Shepherd
2
: to play video games
Globally [in 2019], more than two billion people play video games, including 150 million Americans (nearly half the country's population), 60 percent of whom game daily.Ferris Jabr
3
: to play for a stake : gamble
Is it the interest of any man to steal, to game, to waste his health and mental faculties by drunkenness …? No. All these are roads to ruin.Charles Dickens
see also gaming
4
archaic : to lose or squander by gambling

game

4 of 4

adjective (2)

: being a body part and especially a limb that is usually permanently impaired in function
Despite his eyeglasses and his game leg, early in 1900 [Erskine] Childers volunteered for the Boer War.Timothy Foote
Working his rifle lever with daunting speed despite his game arm …Ron Soodalter
Choose the Right Synonym for game

fun, jest, sport, game, play mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter.

fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

Examples of game in a Sentence

Noun poker and other gambling games She scored a goal to tie the game. We played a few games of chess. That was a good game! She won the first two games, but lost the set and the match. children playing at their games They are known to play a very rough game. She has a strong all-around game. She needs to improve her game if she wants to win the championship. a football team with a strong running game
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
See the winning numbers for the Saturday, March 9, Powerball drawing and learn more about the game below. Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 10 Mar. 2024 There’s a sense of urgency to the game, which offers clues to the motivations of those who built and distributed it. Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 There’s still a fair amount of time spent inside the VR game, for instance, but those scenes are much less tedious here, because Jin is the primary player, and Jess Hong makes palpable the pleasure Jin takes at being inside this bizarre virtual construct. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 One minute and 34 seconds of game time later, Watkins tightened her shoe laces and checked back into the game. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 That means either eight or nine regular-season games and one or two preseason games at their home venue. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 The 41 points Saturday were their fewest in a Mountain West game in history. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 Power consumption was reasonable, but Nvidia has the edge here with the often faster RTX 4070 Super drawing between 20-30W less on average in games. Antony Leather, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Kern referenced the 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District decision in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, with a 6-3 vote, in favor of a Washington state high school football coach whose contract was not renewed after the school district asked him to stop praying midfield following games. The Arizona Republic, 26 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Other musical acts slated for Sunday’s big game in Las Vegas include Usher as the halftime show performer, along with pre-game performances from Andra Day, Post Malone and Reba McEntire. Dan Heching, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 To warm up for Sunday night's wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams, Gardner White is hosting a free pre-game celebration with football legend and 760 WJR SportsWrap host Lomas Brown and other Detroit football alumni. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 10 Jan. 2024 The retail giant will announce one new deal via QR code during each quarter of the game, as well as during pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage (seven in total). Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Nov. 2023 In the film, Lawrence’s character, Maddie, appears fully naked on a beach — and the actor was fully game to do the comedic nude scene. Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 Football rewind Narbonne rallied for a 22-21 win over Banning in a game that was marred by a post-game fight. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023 The pair have been seen walking together to interviews on game days and walking the sidelines as part of Sanders' pre-game preparations. Michael King, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023 Want to make it to the game after your pre-game party like these folks below? Peter Chakerian, cleveland, 9 Sep. 2023 According to the Brewers' roof policies, the club has sole discretion over starting a game with the roof opened or closed, but mid-game changes require consultation with the umpiring crew chief. Jr Radcliffe, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2023
Verb
For example, regulators unveiled tough draft restrictions on the video game industry in late December, wiping $80 billion in value from gaming stocks. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 5 Mar. 2024 Sony is the latest tech and gaming giant to undergo a significant round of layoffs. Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2024 The oldest is gaming tycoon Len Ainsworth, who turned 100 last July. Naazneen Karmali, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 The key for the Wild will be maintaining that energy game in and game out. Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 12 Feb. 2024 More than 90% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z, which includes anyone born after 1996, played games during a six-month period last year, according to a report by gaming data company NewZoo. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2024 The push is part of the agency's ongoing mission of going after high-wealth tax cheats and businesses that game the tax system at the expense of American taxpayers. CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 In turn, Nevadans opening their mail found only Haley’s name on their ballots for the primary, sparking plenty of conspiracy theories that Trump allies were all too eager to embrace—despite their efforts to game the system for their preferred candidate. TIME, 6 Feb. 2024 This sleek and ergonomic controller seamlessly connects to your iOS device, providing an unparalleled level of precision and control that's perfect for gaming on the go. Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'game.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English game, gamen "delight, amusement, play, contest, pursuit of animals in sport," going back to Old English gamen, gomen "amusement, jest, pastime," going back to Germanic *gamano- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German gaman "amusement," Old Norse gaman "sport, amusement"), of uncertain origin

Adjective (1)

derivative of game entry 1 (earliest in phrase to die game "to meet death resolutely")

Verb

derivative of game entry 1

Adjective (2)

of obscure origin

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(1)

Adjective (1)

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1512, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Adjective (2)

circa 1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of game was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near game

Cite this Entry

“Game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/game. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

game

1 of 4 noun
1
a
: activity engaged in for amusement
b
: fun entry 1 sense 1, sport
make game of a nervous player
2
a
: a procedure or strategy for gaining an end : tactic
b
: a line of work : profession
3
a
: a contest carried on following set rules for amusement, exercise, or reward
b
: a division of a larger contest
c
: the number of points necessary to win
d
: the manner of playing in a contest
4
a
: animals pursued or taken by hunting
b
: the flesh of game animals
c
: an object of ridicule or attack
often used in the phrase fair game

game

2 of 4 verb
gamed; gaming

game

3 of 4 adjective
gamer; gamest
1
a
: full of spirit or eagerness : determined
game to the end
b
: willing or ready to go
2
: of or relating to animals that are hunted
game laws
gamely adverb
gameness noun

game

4 of 4 adjective
: lame entry 1 sense 1b
a game leg

Legal Definition

game

intransitive verb
gamed; gaming
: to play for a stake : gamble

More from Merriam-Webster on game

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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