# Olympics

/oʊˈɫɪmpɪks/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/olympics
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the sports event

noun · CEFR A1

the Olympic Games, a huge international sports event where athletes from all over the world compete.

For teachers: the Olympic Games; a major international multi-sport event held every four years in alternating summer and winter editions.

- Athletes train for years to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
- The host city spent billions of dollars on infrastructure to prepare for the arrival of thousands of athletes during the summer Olympics.

Usage: Always capitalized and usually used with the definite article 'the'.

### 2. intense competition

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a situation where people compete very hard, often in a way that seems dramatic or unnecessary.

For teachers: a figurative and often derogatory reference to a situation perceived as an unnecessary or performative competition.

- My coworkers are always trying to stay later than each other; it is like the stress Olympics.
- Social media often devolves into the 'victimhood Olympics', where users compete to prove their personal struggles are more significant than others'.

Teaching tip: This sense is often used with a preceding noun (e.g., 'Oppression Olympics') to criticize people for competing over who has it worse.

## Examples

- The athletes train for years to compete in the Olympics.
- The city spent billions of dollars on infrastructure to prepare for hosting the Summer Olympics.
- While the Olympics serve as a platform for global athletic excellence, they also function as a complex geopolitical stage where national identities and international relations are performatively negotiated.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.