Sportsmanlike describes behaviour in a game that is fair, honest and decent — you follow the rules even when nobody would catch you, you do not cheat to win, and when you lose you shake hands instead of sulking or blaming someone. The -like ending means 'in the way a good sportsman would behave'.

Sportsmanlike describes behaviour in a game that is fair, honest and decentSportsmanlike形容比賽中公平、誠實、有品的行為——you follow the rules even when nobody would catch you就算沒人會抓到你，你還是照規則來，you do not cheat to win不會為了贏而作弊，and when you lose you shake hands instead of sulking or blaming someone輸了就跟對方握手，而不是擺臭臉或怪別人。The -like ending-like這個字尾 means 'in the way a good sportsman would behave'意思是「像一個好的運動員會有的表現」。

In real use you meet the negative far more often than the positive: unsportsmanlike conduct is an actual penalty in American football, basketball and other sports, and people say 'that was unsportsmanlike' quite naturally. Saying 'that was sportsmanlike' sounds a bit stiff and old-fashioned, a bit like a coach in an old film.

In real use you meet the negative far more often than the positive實際使用上，你遇到反義詞的機會遠比正面用法多：unsportsmanlike conduct is an actual penalty in American football, basketball and other sportsunsportsmanlike conduct（沒風度的行為）在美式足球、籃球等運動裡是真的會被罰的，and people say 'that was unsportsmanlike' quite naturally大家也很自然地會說「that was unsportsmanlike」。Saying 'that was sportsmanlike' sounds a bit stiff and old-fashioned說「that was sportsmanlike」聽起來有點生硬又過時，a bit like a coach in an old film有點像老電影裡的教練會講的話。

The word also carries an old-fashioned assumption inside it, because sportsman meant a man; sportsmanlike is still used about women, and nobody blinks, but that is a leftover the language has not tidied up.

The word also carries an old-fashioned assumption inside it這個字裡面也藏著一個過時的預設，because sportsman meant a man因為sportsman原本指的是男性；sportsmanlike is still used about womensportsmanlike現在還是會用在女性身上，and nobody blinks也沒人會覺得奇怪，but that is a leftover the language has not tidied up但這是語言還沒整理乾淨的痕跡。