1
as in to amuse
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
disported themselves with silly games while they waited in the airport
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement
a full-service resort where vacationers may disport at a variety of indoor and outdoor activities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to cavort
to play and run about happily
the puppies disported in the backyard while we ate on the patio
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to display
to present so as to invite notice or attention
football fans triumphantly disported the sports memorabilia for which they had just paid extravagant prices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disport
Zeman has disported himself as one of Putin’s most outspoken allies inside the European Union, in particular as an opponent of the sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2017
Today, in the face of widespread public revulsion, some of the marchers discover that being identified disporting themselves has unpleasant consequences.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 14 Aug. 2017
They’re seen disporting in matching white bathrobes, doing Tai Chi or playing croquet or doing crossword puzzles or playing cards, seemingly living in slow motion on the manicured lawn and marbled patio of an enormous courtyard.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2017
David Frum, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2017
Today, in the face of widespread public revulsion, some of the marchers discover that being identified disporting themselves has unpleasant consequences.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 14 Aug. 2017
They’re seen disporting in matching white bathrobes, doing Tai Chi or playing croquet or doing crossword puzzles or playing cards, seemingly living in slow motion on the manicured lawn and marbled patio of an enormous courtyard.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disport
Verb
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If guests are startled — or, more likely, amused — at your father’s being tieless and wearing sneakers, that is his problem.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Though some Destiny players are not amused.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The administration is playing a blame game over the initial characterization of Pretti, Axios reports.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Dak already has shot past the championship game deadline in that no other quarterback has ever begun his career with a team and played 10 seasons without reaching the NFC or AFC title game, then reached a Super Bowl with that team later in his career.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Performers dance onstage, festoon the rafters overhead and cavort throughout the room in a 90-minute extravaganza.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
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Just a few weeks earlier, Miguel Angel Garcia Medina, 31, had been cavorting with his four children at their Arlington, Texas, home, meeting his 8-year-old daughter for lunch at school and giddily planning the arrival of their fifth child.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
22 Nov. 2025
Verb
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It is made up, with the exception of a few old heads, of young players rich in potential but prone to the type of inconsistency displayed by the 18-year-old Greek forward.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Against Gauff, Svitolina displayed relentless aggression, attacking the American’s faltering forehand.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 12-year career in Milwaukee and led the franchise to its first NBA championship in a half century, the team could be more willing than ever to entertain offers that would return considerable compensation to the Bucks.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Family-friendly cruises offer plenty to keep the kids entertained—think rock climbing, mini golf, pickle ball, aqua parks, and more at no extra cost.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Birds in the steppe fly by, frolicking, and disappear somewhere in the sky, in distant silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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The then-Duke and Duchess of Cambridge started the year with a private family ski holiday to the French Alps and delighted royal watchers by sharing adorable photos of a 2-year-old Prince George and a 10-month-old Princess Charlotte frolicking in the snow.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This super cute manicure features red, coral, and pink wavy stripes going down the middle of each nail like a winding road, while little white hearts and dots dance down the line.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
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The first is that our love of music, and dance along with it, is just a happy accident of natural selection – tapping into our evolution to evoke delight.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The current scenario exhibits characteristics of both—not as drastic as the 77% crash of 2022, yet the institutional de-risking reflects similar structural challenges from that period.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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The newborn is the first primate born at the Bronx Zoo’s new immersive World of Darkness exhibit, the WCS said.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disport. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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