Meanings
nounathlete (plural athletes)
plural athletes
- A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
- CanadaUSA person who actively participates in physical sports, especially with great skill; a sportsperson.
She's the first athlete in her sport to obtain a corporate sponsor.
1 more example
Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.
2013 March 28, David S. Senchina, “Athletics and Herbal Supplements”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 2, archived from the original on 16 May 2013, page 134 - An exceptionally physically fit person.
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀθλητής
- Middle Frenchathlete
- Latināthlēta
- Middle Englishathlete
- Englishathlete
From Middle English athlete, from Latin āthlēta (and probably also partly from Middle French athlete), from Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs), from ἀθλέω (athléō, “compete for a prize”), from ἆθλον (âthlon, “prize”) or ἆθλος (âthlos, “competition”).
More words from Middle English, Latin, Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀθλητής, ἀθλητής
- ἀθλητής (athlētḗs)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- ἀθλητής (athlētḗs)person who actively participates in physical sports
Arabic رِيَاضِيّ, رِيَاضِيَّة
- رِيَاضِيّ (riyāḍiyy)person who actively participates in physical sports
- رِيَاضِيَّة (riyāḍiyya)person who actively participates in physical sports
Bulgarian лекоатле́т, лекоатле́тка
- лекоатле́т (lekoatlét)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- лекоатле́тка (lekoatlétka)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- атле́т (atlét)person who actively participates in physical sports
- атле́тка (atlétka)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спорти́ст (sportíst)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спорти́стка (sportístka)person who actively participates in physical sports
Catalan atleta, atleta
- atletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atletaexceptionally physically fit person
Chinese Mandarin 田徑運動員 /田径运动员, 運動員 /运动员
- 田徑運動員 /田径运动员 (tiánjìng yùndòngyuán)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- 運動員 /运动员 (yùndòngyuán)person who actively participates in physical sports
Czech atlet, atletka
- atletparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletkaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportovecperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportovkyněperson who actively participates in physical sports
Danish atlet, sportsudøver
- atletparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportsudøverperson who actively participates in physical sports
Dutch atleet
- atleetperson who actively participates in physical sports
Esperanto atleto, sportisto
- atletoparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportistoparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletoperson who actively participates in physical sports
Estonian sportlane
- sportlaneperson who actively participates in physical sports
Finnish yleisurheilija, atleetti
- yleisurheilijaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atleettiperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atleettiexceptionally physically fit person
French athlète, athlète
- athlèteparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- athlèteperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportifperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportiveperson who actively participates in physical sports
- athlèteexceptionally physically fit person
German Athlet, Athletin
- Athletparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- Athletinparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- Sportlerparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- Sportlerinparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- Sportlerperson who actively participates in physical sports
- Sportlerinperson who actively participates in physical sports
- Athletperson who actively participates in physical sports
- Athletinperson who actively participates in physical sports
Greek αθλητής, αθλήτρια
- αθλητής (athlitís)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- αθλήτρια (athlítria)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- αθλητής (athlitís)person who actively participates in physical sports
- αθλήτρια (athlítria)person who actively participates in physical sports
Hebrew אַתְלֶט
- אַתְלֶט (atlét)person who actively participates in physical sports
Hindi खिलाड़ी
- खिलाड़ी (khilāṛī)person who actively participates in physical sports
Hungarian atléta, atlétanő
- atlétaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atlétanőparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atlétaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Icelandic íþrottmaður
- íþrottmaðurparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
Indonesian atlet, atlet
- atletparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletperson who actively participates in physical sports
Irish lúthchleasaí, lúthchleasaí
- lúthchleasaíparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- lúthchleasaíperson who actively participates in physical sports
Italian atleta, atleta
- atletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportivoperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportivaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Japanese 陸上競技の選手, 陸上選手
- 陸上競技の選手 (rikujō kyōgi no senshu)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- 陸上選手 (rikujō senshu)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- 運動選手 (undō senshu)person who actively participates in physical sports
- 選手 (senshu)person who actively participates in physical sports
Korean 육상 경기(陸上競技) 선수, 육상 선수
- 육상 경기(陸上競技) 선수 (yuksang gyeonggi seonsu)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- 육상 선수 (yuksang seonsu)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- 운동선수 (undongseonsu)person who actively participates in physical sports
- 선수 (seonsu)person who actively participates in physical sports
Latin āthlēta, āthlēta
- āthlētaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- āthlētaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Latvian atlēts, atlēte
- atlētsperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atlēteperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportistsperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportisteperson who actively participates in physical sports
Lithuanian atletas, atletė
- atletasparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletėparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportininkasparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportininkėparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportininkasperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportininkėperson who actively participates in physical sports
Malay atlet, olahragawan
- atletperson who actively participates in physical sports
- olahragawanperson who actively participates in physical sports
Māori kaipara, kaipara
- kaiparaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- kaiparaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- waeteaexceptionally physically fit person
Norwegian spreking, atlet
- sprekingexceptionally physically fit person
- atletexceptionally physically fit person
Norwegian Bokmål idrettsmann, idrettsutøver
- idrettsmannparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- idrettsutøverparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletperson who actively participates in physical sports
Polish lekkoatleta, lekkoatletka
- lekkoatletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- lekkoatletkaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletkaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sportowiecperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportsmenperson who actively participates in physical sports
- sportsmenkaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atletaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atletkaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atletaexceptionally physically fit person
- atletkaexceptionally physically fit person
- atletykexceptionally physically fit person
Portuguese atleta, atleta
- atletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Romanian atlet, atletă
- atletperson who actively participates in physical sports
- atletăperson who actively participates in physical sports
- persoană atleticăexceptionally physically fit person
- atletexceptionally physically fit person
Russian легкоатле́т, легкоатле́тка
- легкоатле́т (lexkoatlét)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- легкоатле́тка (lexkoatlétka)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- спортсме́н (sportsmén)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спортсме́нка (sportsménka)person who actively participates in physical sports
- атле́т (atlét)person who actively participates in physical sports
- атле́тка (atlétka)person who actively participates in physical sports
Slovak športovec, športovec
- športovecparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- športovecperson who actively participates in physical sports
- športovkyňaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Spanish atleta, atleta
- atletaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletaperson who actively participates in physical sports
- persona atléticaexceptionally physically fit person
Swahili mwanariadha, mwanariadha
- mwanariadhaparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- mwanariadhaperson who actively participates in physical sports
Swedish friidrottare, atlet
- friidrottareparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- atletperson who actively participates in physical sports
Thai นักกีฬา, นักกีฬา
- นักกีฬา (nák-gii-laa)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- นักกีฬา (nák-gii-laa)person who actively participates in physical sports
Turkish atlet, sporcu
- atletparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- sporcuperson who actively participates in physical sports
Ukrainian легкоатле́т, легкоатле́тка
- легкоатле́т (lehkoatlét)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- легкоатле́тка (lehkoatlétka)participant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- спортсме́н (sportsmén)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спортсме́нка (sportsménka)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спорто́вець (sportóvecʹ)person who actively participates in physical sports
- спорто́вка (sportóvka)person who actively participates in physical sports
- атле́т (atlét)person who actively participates in physical sports
- атле́тка (atlétka)person who actively participates in physical sports
Urdu کِھلاڑی, وَرْزِش کار
- کِھلاڑی (khilāṛī)person who actively participates in physical sports
- وَرْزِش کار (varziś kār)person who actively participates in physical sports
Vietnamese vận động viên, nhà thể thao
- vận động viênparticipant in track and field, road running, cross country running, or racewalking
- nhà thể thaoperson who actively participates in physical sports
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with athlete
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
athlete. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/athlete
MLA
“athlete.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/athlete. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “athlete,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/athlete.
Source: athlete on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.