good sports
Accept defeat well
Good sports are people who accept defeat, criticism, or teasing with grace rather than resentment.
The phrase emphasizes attitude over athletic ability—you can lose badly and still be a good sport if you handle it well.
Someone who complains or sulks is a poor sport or bad sport.
The singular works the same way: Be a good sport and let him play.
- competitionStruggle for supremacy
- level playing fieldEqual competitive conditions
- fair playHonorable conduct in games
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- teamworkJoint effort toward shared aim
team player · taking one for the team · camaraderie · shake hands · respect · courtesy · virtue · graciousness · honor · selflessness · resilience · humility · magnanimity · integrity · encouragement · kindness · accountability · perseverance
good sportssore losers
Ungracious in defeat
poor sports · poor losers · bad losers · whiners · crybabies
good sportsspoilsports
Those who diminish others' pleasure
killjoys · wet blankets · party poopers · buzzkills · sourpusses
good, goods, goodness, goodly, sport, sports, sporting, sportive, sporty