score
/skɔːr/A number or point total that shows how well someone did in a game, test, or competition. It can also mean the result of a match or exam.
- India’s final score was 245.
- My test score improved this term.
- What was the score yesterday?
To get a number of points, marks, or goals in a game or test. It can also mean to obtain something, especially by luck or effort.
- He scored twice in the second half.
- She scored 92 on the exam.
- I finally scored cheap tickets.
Adinary Nuance
Score is the word you use for a result with numbers, points, or marks. Marks is more common for school tests in British and Indian English, while score is common in sports and exams. Points usually means the individual units you earn, not the final total. Result is broader and can be used when you do not want to focus on the number.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- điểm số
- Spanish
- puntuación
- Chinese
- 得分
- Japanese
- 得点
- Korean
- 점수
Etymology
Score comes from Old Norse skor, meaning a notch or tally mark. In English, it developed into a word for counting points and later for results in games and tests.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is score used more in sports or exams?
- It is used in both, but sports is very common. In exams, it often means the number of marks you got.
- What is the difference between score and marks?
- Marks are usually used for school or exam results. Score is wider and is also common in sports.
- Can score be a verb?
- Yes. It means to get points or marks, or to make a goal in sports.
- Is score formal or informal?
- It is a normal, everyday word. It works well in both spoken and written English.