Standard Lemma guide

unsportsmanlike

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N S P AO1 R T S M AH0 N L AY2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: not cricket, unsporting, unsportsmanly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

violating accepted standards or rules

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a dirty fighter
  • used foul means to gain power
  • a nasty unsporting serve
  • fined for unsportsmanlike behavior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cheating(a), dirty, foul, unsporting

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English sportsmanlike English unsportsmanlike From un- + sportsmanlike.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неспортсменски (nesportsmenski) — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Finnish: epäurheilijamainen — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Galician: antideportivo — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • German: unsportlich — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Hungarian: sportszerűtlen — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Macedonian: не́спортски (nésportski) — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Polish: niesportowy — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Portuguese: antiesportivo — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Portuguese: antidesportivo — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Russian: неспорти́вный (nesportívnyj) — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Spanish: antideportivo — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
  • Swedish: osportslig — violating the accepted standards of sportsmanship
Real reading context

unsportsmanlike in complete knowledge articles