tennis: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “tennis” mean?
A racket sport played on a rectangular court with a net, where players hit a ball back and forth.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A racket sport played on a rectangular court with a net, where players hit a ball back and forth.
Refers to various forms of the sport, such as lawn tennis, or metaphorically to any back-and-forth exchange or competition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'lawn tennis' is sometimes specified to distinguish from real tennis; in American English, 'tennis' typically implies lawn tennis. Minor terminology differences exist, such as 'court' vs. 'center' in facility names.
Connotations
Both dialects associate tennis with sport, leisure, and occasionally elitism or upper-class recreation.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both dialects due to the sport's global popularity and media coverage.
Grammar
How to Use “tennis” in a Sentence
play [tennis]be good at [tennis]watch [tennis]practise [tennis]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “tennis” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They tennis every weekend at the local club.
American English
- He tennis-ed his way through college tournaments.
adjective
British English
- The tennis court needs resurfacing.
- She wore her tennis shoes for the match.
American English
- The tennis center is hosting a tournament.
- He bought new tennis gear online.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in sports marketing, sponsorship deals, and retail for tennis equipment and events.
Academic
Referenced in sports science for studies on athlete performance, biomechanics, and injury prevention.
Everyday
Common in casual conversation about hobbies, weekend activities, or watching sports events.
Technical
Employed in coaching manuals, rulebooks, and discussions on strategies, techniques, and court surfaces.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “tennis”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “tennis”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “tennis”
- Mispronouncing as /ˈtɛnɪz/ with a 'z' sound.
- Using 'tennis' generically for all racket sports like badminton or squash without clarification.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The word 'tennis' derives from the French 'tenez', meaning 'hold' or 'receive', a call used in the historical game.
Tennis is played on various surfaces including grass, clay, hard courts, and artificial turf, each affecting gameplay speed and style.
Tennis uses a unique scoring system: points are 15, 30, 40, and game, with 'love' meaning zero and 'deuce' for tie situations.
No, 'tennis' is primarily a noun; verb usage is informal and non-standard, though occasionally creative contexts may use it to mean playing tennis.
A racket sport played on a rectangular court with a net, where players hit a ball back and forth.
Tennis is usually neutral in register.
Tennis: in British English it is pronounced /ˈten.ɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɛn.ɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “tennis elbow”
- “love-all”
- “tennis anyone?”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'ten' as in ten points in a game, and 'nis' sounds like 'nice', making tennis a nice sport to enjoy.
Conceptual Metaphor
Life as a tennis match, symbolizing back-and-forth challenges, competition, and resilience.
Practice
Quiz
What is 'tennis elbow' commonly associated with?