# game

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɡeɪm/ · frequency rank #182

## Definitions
1. A playful or competitive activity.
2. A playful or competitive activity.
3. A playful or competitive activity.
4. A playful or competitive activity.
5. A playful or competitive activity.
6. A playful or competitive activity.
7. A playful or competitive activity.
8. A playful or competitive activity.
9. A playful or competitive activity.
10. A playful or competitive activity.
11. A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession.
12. A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession.
13. Something that resembles a game with rules, despite not being designed.
14. An exercise simulating warfare, whether computerized or involving human participants.
15. A questionable or unethical practice in pursuit of a goal.
16. Wild animals hunted for food.
17. The ability to seduce or woo someone, usually by strategy.
18. Lovemaking, flirtation.
19. Prostitution. (Now chiefly in on the game.)
20. Mastery; the ability to excel at something.
21. Diversion, entertainment.

## Etymology
From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communion, people together”), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *mann- (“man”); or alternatively from *ga- + a root from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think, have in mind”).
Cognate with Yola gaame, gaaume, gaume (“game”), Old Frisian game, gome (“joy, amusement, entertainment”), Dutch gemelijk (“cantankerous, crabbed”), Middle High German gamen (“joy, amusement, fun, pleasure”), Danish gammen (“merriment”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk gaman (“joy, fun”), Swedish gamman (“mirth, rejoicing, merriment”). Related to gammon, gamble.

## Easily confused with
- **GM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gm)
- **ge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-ge)
- **gas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gas)
- **Gay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gay)
- **gap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gap)
- **gym** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gym)
- **gum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gum)
- **gem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gem)
- **gee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gee)
- **GAO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gao)
- **gma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gma)
- **GMO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gmo)
- **GSM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gsm)
- **gan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gan)
- **gar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gar)
- **GRE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gre)
- **Gaz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gaz)
- **gms** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gms)
- **GMP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gmp)
- **gat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/game-vs-gat)

## Common misspellings (5)
`agme`, `gaem`, `gamme`, `ggame`, `gmae`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/game