24
player(noun, person)
23
jock(noun, person)
20
sportsman(noun, diver)
13
competitor(noun, person, opponent, player, professional)
9
gladiator(noun, combatant)
8
professional(noun, person)
8
contender(noun, person, competitor, contestant, sportsperson)
5
athletics
4
sport(noun, person)
4
runner(noun, competitor, sprinter)
3
racer(noun, competitor, runner, sprinter)
3
ballplayer
3
iron person(noun, expression, person, superjock)
3
prize fighter(expression, idiom, combatant)
2
games-player
2
amateur athlete
2
sportsperson(noun, person, competitor, player, participant)
2
superjock(noun, person, competitor, participant)
2
archer
2
performer
<123459>
11 years ago|20k views|share |citing 
APASmart Define. (2015). athlete thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/athlete/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "athlete thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/athlete/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, athlete thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/athlete/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "athlete thesaurus" 13 April 2015. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/athlete/thesaurus/synonyms>