noun
kabaddi
KUH-buh-dee
noun
1
A South Asian contact sport in which a lone "raider" dashes into the opposing team's half, tries to tag defenders, and must get back to their own side — all while chanting to prove they haven't taken a breath.
"The village tournament drew huge crowds for the final kabaddi match."
"In kabaddi, the raider has to hold one breath the entire time they're on the other side."
How to Use Kabaddi
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fast, breath-holding tag sport popular across South Asia, now also played internationally.
Common pairings
play kabaddi
a kabaddi match
kabaddi league
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “kabaddi”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The village tournament drew huge crowds for the final _____ match.
Etymology
From Hindi kabaddi, itself borrowed from Tamil, where the word traces back to "kai" (hand) plus "pidi" (grip) — roughly "holding hands."