These words refer to play, leisure-time activities, or side interests purused for amusement or pleasure. Hobby indicates an activity that may involve the development of intricate knowledge of or capability in a limited field. It particularly implies collecting or tinkering activities, often done by oneself at home and seldom involving physical exercise for its own sake: a lifelong hobby of stamp collecting.

Avocation is more formal than hobby and may suggest a more dedicated pursuit of something with cultural or social value: a doctor whose avocation was playing cello in an amateur string quartet. But, more generally, the word can group together the whole range of activities considered here, since its only restriction is its emphasis on something that is secondary to a person’s livelihood, career or central concern. Recreation is comparable in its generality to avocation . While it doesn’t emphasize the distinction between main and secondary interests, it does suggest pleasure-giving relaxation and low-key activity that would not be found in most vocations . The word’s stress is on play or games. Thus, unlike hobby , it can more often suggest activity that is done in groups and includes folk dancing, handicrafts, swimming and boating.

Pastime is closer to hobby than the previous pair, indicating anything done to occupy one’s leisure; by implication, the word suggests activity of little intrinsic worth: insisting that his painting was merely a pastime that kept him from being bored. This deprecatory note can be even more pronounced: few pastimes more foolish than autograph collecting. Sport is the one word here that points to a recreation or pastime that is primarily a matter of physical exercise, and suggests especially competitive group or individual activity: We enjoyed playing cricket, football and other sports. Unlike all the other words here, sport can indicate an activity purused as a money-making vocation : He had performed so brilliantly in amateur tennis that he took up the sport as a full-time professional player.