Game Activity Playing Play Football People Main I

• card games
• board games
• a game of chance/skill
• ball games, such as football or tennis

game

1. an activity or a sport with rules in which people or teams compete against each other
• see also war game
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/war-game
• card games
• board games
• a game of chance/skill
• ball games, such as football or tennis
• We're going to the ball game (= baseball game).
2. an occasion of playing a game
• to play a game of chess
• Saturday’s League game against Swansea
• Let's have a game of table tennis.
• They're in training for the big game.
3. the way in which somebody plays a game
• Maguire raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.
• Stretching exercises can help you avoid injury and improve your game.
4. a large organized sports event
• the Olympic Games
5. sport as a lesson or an activity at school
• I always hated games at school.
6. a section of some games, such as tennis, which forms a unit in scoring
• See related entries: Tennis
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/topic/tennis/game_2
• two games all (= both players have won two games)
7. a children’s activity when they play with toys, pretend to be somebody else, etc.
• a game of cops and robbers
• Her main interests are music and gardening.
• His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
• a game of cops and robbers
• He was playing games with the dog.
• Eating out is the national pastime in France.
• His main hobby is football (= he plays football).
• His main interest is football (= he watches and reads about football, and may or may not play it).
8. an activity that you do to have fun
• He was playing games with the dog.
• Her main interests are music and gardening.
• His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
• a game of cops and robbers
• He was playing games with the dog.
• Eating out is the national pastime in France.
• His main hobby is football (= he plays football).
• His main interest is football (= he watches and reads about football, and may or may not play it).
9. a type of activity or business
• see also waiting game
  https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/waiting-game
• How long have you been in this game?
• the game of politics
• I'm new to this game myself.
• Getting dirty was all part of the game to the kids.
10. a secret and clever plan; a trick
• So that's his game (= now I know what he has been planning).
11. wild animals or birds that people hunt for sport or food
12. at an advantage/disadvantage because you have done more/less preparation or know more/less than other people, especially those you are competing against
• We'll be able to extract insights out of the data that will enable us to stay ahead of the game.
• Politicians are behind the game in understanding how fast the world is changing.
13. to defeat or do better than somebody in an activity which they have chosen or in which they think they are strong
14. to not be considered to be serious
• For her the whole project was just a game.
15. to be a prostitute
16. to no longer have a chance of winning a game or succeeding in an activity that you are taking part in
17. to still/once again have a good chance of winning a game or succeeding in an activity that you are taking part in
• The team was still in the game, just one goal down.
• He’s been fighting to get the struggling company back in the game.
18. activities that are not serious and that other people may disapprove of
19. said to somebody who has done something wrong, when they are caught and the crime or trick has been discovered
• Maggie knew that he had recognized her and the game was up.
20. used after something has happened that makes it clear that a contest is not yet decided and anyone could still win
• We were losing 2–0 with ten minutes to go, and then we scored. It was game on!
21. used to say that it is no longer possible for somebody/something to succeed, survive or continue
• Given her recent slump in form, it might be game over already this season.
• This technology could mean game over for gasoline-powered vehicles.
• The slightest mistake and it's game over for him.
22. to tell a secret, especially by accident; to show something that should be kept hidden
23. an activity that is unlikely to be successful or make a profit
24. the most important aspect of an activity; the most important quality needed for an activity
• Hard work is the name of the game if you want to succeed in business.
25. the advantages to be gained from doing something are not great enough, considering the effort or cost involved
• If the price goes up again, he may decide that the game’s not worth the candle.
26. a way of considering an activity, etc. that is concerned only with the number of people doing something, things achieved, etc., not with who or what they are
• MPs were playing the numbers game as the crucial vote drew closer.
27. performing badly/well, especially when compared with how well you usually perform
• He was off his game and missed two early penalties.
28. the most important thing of a particular type, or the only thing that is available
29. to play a cruel game with somebody in your power by changing your behaviour very often, so that they become nervous and do not know what to expect
• He thought the police were playing some elaborate game of cat and mouse and waiting to trap him.
30. to behave in a fair and honest way
• You can’t do that—it’s not playing the game!
31. to do something which helps somebody else’s plans, especially by accident, when you did not intend to help them
32. not to treat a situation seriously, especially in order to cheat somebody
• Don't play silly games with me; I know you did it.
33. the standards of behaviour that most people accept or that actually operate in a particular area of life or business
34. to talk in a way that sounds convincing, but may not be sincere
35. used to tell somebody who has played a trick on you that you can do the same thing to them
36. used to ask why somebody is behaving as they are

Extra Examples

• Chicago’s bid to host the Olympic Games
• Children love learning new games.
• Don’t let him talk to anybody or he’ll give the game away.
• He pitched a perfect game at Atlanta.
• He was unwittingly caught up in a dangerous game of lies and betrayals.
• He’s hoping to be fit before next week’s game with Liverpool.
• Hendry raised his game to become the champion.
• Hendry raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.
• How I hated team games at school!
• I realized that he had been playing a stupid game with me.
• I’ll soon put an end to her silly little games.
• It’s going to be a close game.
• It’s hard to find indoor games for children.
• Last night he played the final game of his career.
• Lufthansa entered the game with a 25% stake in the company.
• Shall we have a game of chess?
• She’s hoping to participate in the next Olympic Games.
• That girl plays a great game of bridge.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• The company is developing games to play on mobile phones.
• The early stages of the game were dominated by the home team.
• The guys are in training for their big game.
• The team fought back to level the game.
• This is a good game for getting people to mix.
• To pass the time, we played a game of cards.
• Trescothick had a good game and was man of the match.
• Trevor had a good game.
• United are playing a home game this week.
• We won the first game and drew the second.
• a game of tennis
• children’s party games like Musical Chairs
• competitive games in which there is always a winner and a loser
• finding good indoor games for children
• the game of life/politics
• their first League game of the season
• this week’s game against the Titans
• Chess is a game of skill.
• Davenport won the opening game of the third set.
• Discipline is the rock on which the game of golf is built.
• He’s levelled the second set at two games all.
• Predicting the outcome of the election is a game of chance.
• She broke Sharapova’s serve in the fourth game of the third set.
• So that’s his little game.
• The children invented a new game.
• The defence are coming under pressure for the first time in this game.
• Will he be available for Saturday’s game against the Bears?
• ball/card/board/computer/video games

Word Origin

• Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.