sportively

English

Etymology

From sportive +‎ -ly.

Adverb

sportively (comparative more sportively, superlative most sportively)

1. In a sportive way
   • 1880, Percy Greg, Across the Zodiac‎^[1]:

     Perhaps to treat the matter lightly and sportively would be the course most likely to encourage her to explain it.

   • 1912, James Brendan Connolly, Wide Courses‎^[2]:

     "Then you got time, ain't you, to buy a girl a glass o'--" She stopped and winked sportively.

   • 2006 October 13, Ryan Hubbard, “Chelsea Handler”, in Chicago Reader‎^[3]:

     At Zanies last May she sportively bickered with the vocal crowd.

Related terms

• sportiveness

Anagrams

• Very pistol