Inside Out

Tennis – Glossary
aggressive adjective hide verb
very determined to win or be successful: to prevent people from knowing your thoughts or
an aggressive election strategy feelings, or the truth:
He could not hide his disappointment.
bat noun [count]
a wooden object used for hitting the ball in games hype noun [uncount]
such as baseball, cricket, and table tennis the use of a lot of advertisements and information to
interest people
battle verb
to compete with someone: love noun [uncount]
the three men battling for the world title a score of no points in tennis

beat verb match noun [count]

to defeat someone in a game, competition, election, a game in which players or teams compete against
or battle: each other:
England needed to beat Germany to get to the They lost the match on Saturday.
final.
media, the noun
breathtaking adjective radio, television, newspapers, the Internet, and
extremely impressive or beautiful magazines, considered as a group:
The story has been widely reported in the media.
concentration noun [uncount]
the process of giving all your attention to mood noun [count or uncount]
something: the way that someone is feeling, or the way that a
It took all his concentration to stay awake. group of people is feeling at a particular time:
I had never seen Ann in such a good mood before.
court [count]
an area marked with lines where some sports are net noun [count]
played, including tennis and basketball: in some sports, an object made of net that you hit,
a tennis/squash court kick, or throw the ball over or into

determination noun [uncount] opponent noun [count]

the refusal to let anything stop you from doing someone who is competing against you:
what you want to do: His opponent received only 36 per cent of the vote.
The president's determination to pursue the rebels
was clear. point noun [count]
a unit for counting the score in a game or sport:
entertaining adjective Our team is two points behind.
enjoyable or interesting:
an entertaining talk/evening/programme practise verb
to repeat an activity regularly so that you become
frame of mind phrase better at it:
the mood that someone is in How many hours a day do you practise?

frustrating adjective professional noun [count]

making you feel annoyed and impatient because
you are prevented from achieving something:
It's frustrating to wait all day for a repairman who
doesn't show up.
grunt verb
to make a short low sound in your throat and nose
someone who plays a sport or takes part in an activity
as a job rather than for enjoyment
psychological adjective
involving or affecting your mind:
Harry's problems are more psychological than
physical.

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007. Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan
Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com
 Inside Out
racquet or racket noun [count]
an object used for hitting the ball in games such as
tennis

score noun [count]

the number of points that someone gains in a game
or test:
The average score for the test was 75.

serve verb
to hit a ball in order to start playing for a point in a
game such as tennis

shot noun [count]

an act of throwing, hitting, or kicking a ball:
That was another fine shot from Tiger Woods.

skill noun [count or uncount]

the ability to do something well, usually as a result
of experience and training:
I admired the skill and dedication of the nursing
staff.

smash verb
in tennis, to hit a ball that is above your head
downwards and very hard

stick noun [count]

a long thin piece of wood that is used for hitting or
carrying something in a sport:
a hockey stick

talent noun [count or uncount]

a natural ability for doing a particular activity well:
She had an obvious talent for music.

tournament noun [count]

a series of games in which the winner of each
game plays in the next game until there is only one
player or team left

This page has been downloaded from www.insideout.net. It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages.
Copyright © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007. Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary © 2002 and the Macmillan
Essential Dictionary © 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. www.macmillandictionaries.com