Definition
A person who plays games habitually, especially games of chance like gambling; a gambler or game player.
Etymology
From 'game' (Old English 'gamen') plus the '-ster' suffix (Old English '-estre'), which originally meant 'one who performs an action' but later implied someone obsessively involved in an activity.
Kelly Says
The '-ster' suffix is ancient and mercurial—'gamesters' in Shakespeare's time could mean charming game players, but by the 18th century the word had darkened to mean habitual gamblers losing fortunes.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ጨዋታ ፍቅር
ch'ewa-ta f'ek-er
ARالعربية
مُحِبٌّ للألعاب
mu-hibb-un lil-a-la-ayb
BNবাংলা
খেলা প্রেমিক
khela premik
CACatalà
jugador
zho-ga-dor
DEDeutsch
Spieler
shpy-ler
ELΕλληνικά
παίκτης
pyik-tis
ESEspañol
aficionado a los juegos
ah-fee-thee-ah-noh a los heh-hoh-goes
FAفارسی
بازیکن
ba-ze-y-kan
FISuomi
pelin pelaaja
peh-lin pel-ah-ah-ya
HAHA
ma'aikacin wasa
ma-ay-ka-sin wa-sa
HEעברית
משחקן
mis-kha-khan
HIहिन्दी
खेल का शौकीन
khel ka shauk-een
HUMagyar
játékos
ya-tay-kos
IDBahasa Indonesia
pemain game
pay-main game
IGIG
onye na-eche
oh-nyeh na-eche
ITItaliano
giocatore
zhoh-kah-tore
KKKK
Ойын ойыншы
oyn oy-yn-shy
KO한국어
게임 애호가
geim aeho-ga
MSBahasa Melayu
pemain permainan
pay-main pe-ra-mainan
MYမြန်မာ
ပရိသတ်
pa-ri-tha-tet
NLNederlands
speler
spe-ler
PTPortuguês
jogador
zho-gah-dor
RORomână
jucător
joo-kah-tor
SVSvenska
spelare
spel-ah-reh
SWKiswahili
mchezaji
m-che-za-ji
TAதமிழ்
பேச்சு விளையாட்டு
paechchu vilaiyaattu
TEతెలుగు
పేచెస్ గేమ్స్
paechess gemmss
THไทย
คนเล่นเกม
kon len gem
TLTL
manlalaro
man-la-la-ro
TRTürkçe
oyuncu
oy-nook-oo
UKУкраїнська
гравець
hra-vets
URاردو
کھیل کا شوقی
kheel ka shoo-qi
VITiếng Việt
người chơi game
ngoo-oi choy game
YOYO
olú-ọ̀mọ̀
oh-loo-oh-moh
ZH中文
游戏爱好者
yóuxì àihàozhě
ZUZU
umshayeli
oom-sha-ye-lee
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Generic '-ster' suffix historically implied male participants in gaming and gambling. Female equivalents were rare or marked differently, reflecting women's exclusion from gaming culture and institutions.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'game player,' 'gambler,' or 'player' to avoid gendered implications. Example: 'A skilled gambler won the tournament' rather than 'gamester.'
Inclusive Alternatives
["game player","gambler","player"]
Empowerment Note
Women have been significant players in card games, board games, and gambling history; their strategies and wins were often attributed to luck rather than skill.