pugilato
/pu.d͡ʒiˈla.to/masculine
The English word "boxing" can be translated into Italian as pugilato or boxe.
Meaning: the sport of boxing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pugilato | /pu.d͡ʒiˈla.to/ | masculine |
| boxe | /ˈbɔks/ | feminine |
Both terms refer to the sport of boxing. Pugilato is the technical name for the sport, while boxe is a common loanword.
Which one should you use?
Pugilato is the formal, technical term for the sport and is typically used in journalistic, official or academic contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
Boxe is a feminine noun. Pugilato is a masculine noun. If you want to refer to a person who practices the sport, you use the word pugile.
How do you pronounce it?
/pu.dʒiˈla.to/ (4 syllables, stress on the 3rd syllable)
Did you know?
- In Italy, the term boxe is strictly for the sport. If you were talking about 'boxing' gifts for a holiday, you would use confezionare or fare i pacchetti, as boxe never refers to containers.
- In Italian sports journalism, a 'knockout' is often abbreviated as KO, but the action of being knocked out is described as andare al tappeto, which means 'to go to the mat'.
- While boxe is used for the sport, Italians use the word guantoni for boxing gloves. This is the augmentative form of guanto ('glove'), meaning 'big gloves'.
Examples in context
- Facciamo un po' di boxe.Let's do some boxing.The sentence is useful for suggesting a boxing activity using boxe.Tatoeba #2885545 by Guybrush88, translation #54235 by CM
- Papà, ho bisogno di guanti da boxe.Dad, I need boxing gloves.The sentence is useful for requesting boxing gloves using boxe.Tatoeba #10148941 by Guybrush88, translation #10005771 by ddnktr
- Vidi l'incontro di boxe in televisione.I saw the boxing match on television.The sentence is useful for describing seeing a boxing match using boxe.Tatoeba #2217988 by Guybrush88, translation #255111 by CK
- Il pugilato è uno sport molto popolare in tutto il mondo.Boxing is a very popular sport worldwide.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are talking at a local sports club.
- MartinaTi piace il pugilato?Do you like boxing?
- FrancescoSì, pratico pugilato da tre anni.Yes, I have practiced boxing for three years.
- MartinaÈ uno sport molto faticoso.It is a very tiring sport.
- FrancescoVero, ma è molto emozionante.True, but it is very exciting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boxing” translations and entries pugilato, boxe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
