noun · neutral
athlete
/ˈæθ.liːt/ATH·lete
a person who competes in one or more sports, especially at a high level
Examples
“The young athlete won several regional competitions last year.”
“Professional athletes often follow strict training and diet plans.”
“Many schools encourage students to become well-rounded athletes by trying different sports.”
Band 8 sentence
“Many elite athletes periodize their training—alternating high-intensity blocks with recovery—to peak precisely for major championships.”
Collocations
- professional athlete
- elite/elite athlete
- young/young athlete
Word family
Common mistakes
He is very athlete→He is a very good athlete / He is very athletic
many athlete→many athletes
sportsman is better word→athlete is more appropriate in formal writing
Say it for a higher band
5player→6sportsman→7+athlete
Synonyms
sportsman/sportswoman
player
Easily confused
player
“A tennis player is a player, but in formal reports we may still call them an athlete.”
sportsman
“He behaved like a true sportsman, congratulating his opponent despite the controversial decision.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Sport & Exercise
Learn it with its set