game
noun /ɡeɪm/
/ɡeɪm/
Idioms 
enlarge image[countable] an activity that you do to have fun, often one that has rules and that you can win or lose; the equipment for a game- The kids were playing a game with their balloons.
- The children invented a new game.
- a video/computer game
- I play online games with my friends.
- a game of chance/skill
- Buy your games and software from us.
Synonyms interestinterest- hobby
- game
- pastime
- interest an activity or a subject that you do or study for pleasure in your spare time:
- Her main interests are music and gardening.
- hobby an activity that you do for pleasure in your spare time:
- His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
- game a children’s activity when they play with toys, pretend to be somebody else, etc.; an activity that you do to have fun:
- a game of cops and robbers
- He was playing games with the dog.
- pastime an activity that people do for pleasure in their spare time:
- Eating out is the national pastime in France.
- a popular interest/hobby/pastime
- to have/share interests/hobbies
- to take up/pursue a(n) interest/hobby
Culture toys and gamestoys and gamesMost young children are given toys for their birthday or at Christmas. Many regularly spend their pocket money on smaller toys. Popular toys include building bricks such as Lego, plastic farm animals, toy cars, model railways and dressing-up costumes. Many children have dolls, and several sets of clothes to dress them in. Particularly popular are Action Man figures and Barbie dolls. Babies are given rattles (= toys that make a noise when shaken), soft toys and teddy bears. Action figures, small plastic models of characters from television shows or films, are also popular. Some parents do not allow their children to have guns or other toys that represent weapons because they do not want them to think it is fun to injure or kill people.Among traditional games that are still popular are board games such as snakes and ladders and Cluedo, card games such as Happy Families and Snap, and word games such as hangman and Scrabble.Children play outside with skipping ropes, bicycles, skateboards, scooters and Rollerblades. In playgrounds there are often swings, a slide, a see-saw and a climbing frame (NAmE jungle gym) to climb on. Traditional games played outside include hopscotch, a game in which children hop over squares drawn on the ground to try to pick up a stone, and tag, in which one child runs after the others until he or she catches one of them and then that child has to chase the rest.Few people give up games completely when they become adults. Many people play card games like bridge and poker, and board games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, backgammon and chess.Games consoles and apps are very popular. Games can be played online, either against a real opponent, who is playing somewhere else on their own device, or against a computer program that can be set to a suitable level of difficulty.Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppinga1- Children love learning new games.
- Chess is a game of skill.
- The company is developing games to play on mobile phones.
- It's hard to find indoor games for children.
- This is a good game for getting people to mix.
- children's party games like Musical Chairs
- I have been an avid roleplaying game fan for more than 20 years.
- competitive games in which there is always a winner and a loser
- Millions of people buy racing games every year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ball
- board
- card
- …
- learn
- create
- design
- …
- player
- designer
- developer
- …
- [countable] a sport with rules in which people or teams compete against each other
- ball games, such as football or tennis
- How I hated team games at school!
- the game of something the game of golf/cricket/basketball
- Broadcasters have injected vast amounts of money into the game of football.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ball
- board
- card
- …
- learn
- create
- design
- …
- player
- designer
- developer
- …
- [countable] an occasion of playing a game
- to win/lose a game
- They lost their first home game of the season.
- a baseball/basketball game
- (especially North American English) a football game
- (North American English) We're going to the ball game (= baseball game).
- Are you coming to watch the game?
- a game of something to play a game of chess
- Let's have a game of table tennis.
- game against somebody Saturday’s League game against Swansea
- game with somebody today's game with Manchester United
- They're in training for the big game.
Extra Examples- The defence are coming under pressure for the first time in this game.
- their first League game of the season
- United are playing a home game this week.
- The team fought back to level the game.
- The early stages of the game were dominated by the home team.
- Last night he played the final game of his career.
- It's going to be a close game.
- He's hoping to be fit before next week's game with Liverpool.
- Trescothick had a good game and was man of the match.
- We won the first game and drew the second.
- He pitched a perfect game at Atlanta.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- close
- tight
- …
- have
- play
- lose
- …
- game against
- game with
- game of
- …
- [singular] somebody’s game 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.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fine
- good
- great
- …
- have
- play
- pitch
- …
- winner
- Games[plural] a large organized sports event
- She's hoping to participate in the next Olympic Games.
- To stage the Games (= the Olympic Games or a similar event) is an honour.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- Commonwealth
- Olympic
- etc.
- …
- compete in
- participate in
- take part in
- …
- games[plural] (old-fashioned, British English) sport as a lesson or an activity at school
- I always hated games at school.
- [countable] a section of some games, such as tennis, which forms a unit in scoring
- two games all (= both players have won two games)
- Zverev won the opening game of the third set.
- [countable] a type of activity or business
- 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.
Extra Examples- Lufthansa entered the game with a 25% stake in the company.
- Predicting the outcome of the election is a game of chance.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + game- be in
- enter
- game of
- all part of the game
- new to this game
- [singular] (informal) a secret and clever plan; a trick
- So that's his game (= now I know what he has been planning).
Extra Examples- He was unwittingly caught up in a dangerous game of lies and betrayals.
- I realized that he had been playing a stupid game with me.
- I'll soon put an end to her silly little games.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- silly
- stupid
- …
- play
- put an end to
- give away
- …
- [uncountable] wild animals or birds that people hunt for sport or food
enlarge imageWordfindersee also big game, fair gameTopics Animalsc2, Birdsc2- chase
- falconry
- game
- hunt
- open season
- pack
- poach
- prey
- safari
- trail
fun
sport
activity/business
secret plan
wild animals/birds
Word OriginOld English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
ahead of/behind the game
- 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.
beat somebody at their own game
- to defeat or do better than somebody in an activity which they have chosen or in which they think they are strong
be a game
- to not be considered to be serious
- For her the whole project was just a game.
be on the game
- (British English, slang) to be a prostitute
be out of the game
- to no longer have a chance of winning a game or succeeding in an activity that you are taking part inTopics Difficulty and failurec2
be still/back in the game
- 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.
- (figurative) He’s been fighting to get the struggling company back in the game.
fun and games
- (informal) activities that are not serious and that other people may think are bad
- Teaching isn't all fun and games, you know.
the game is up
- (informal) 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.
game on
- (informal) 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!
game over
- (informal) 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.
give the game away
- to tell a secret, especially by accident; to show something that should be kept hidden
- Don't let him talk to anybody or he'll give the game away.
a mug’s game
- (disapproving, especially British English) an activity that is unlikely to be successful or make a profitTopics Difficulty and failurec2
the name of the game
- (informal) 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.
(the game is) not worth the candle
- (old-fashioned, saying) 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.
numbers game
- a way of considering an activity, etc. that considers only 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.
off/on your game
- performing badly/well, especially when compared with how well you usually perform
- He was off his game and missed two early penalties.
the only game in town
- (informal) the most important thing of a particular type, or the only thing that is available
play (a game of) cat and mouse with somebody | play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody
- 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.
- Young car thieves enjoy playing cat and mouse with the police.
play somebody’s game
- to do something that helps somebody else’s plans, especially by accident, when you did not intend to help them
play the game
- to behave in a fair and honest way
- You can’t do that—it’s not playing the game!
play (silly) games (with somebody)
- not to treat a situation seriously, especially in order to cheat somebody
- Don't play silly games with me; I know you did it.
the rules of the game
- the standards of behaviour that most people accept or that actually operate in a particular area of life or business
talk a good game
- to talk in a way that sounds convincing, but may not be sincere
- The senior managers talk a good game about customer relations, but really they don't care about the customer.
two can play at that game
- (saying) used to tell somebody who has played a trick on you that you can do the same thing to them
what’s somebody’s/your game?
- (informal) used to ask why somebody is behaving as they are