Meaning & use
arcade games
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Electronic games, usually coin-operated, played on machines in a public place such as an amusement arcade.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense; the singular is 'arcade game'.
Patterns
- play arcade games
- a collection of arcade games
- classic arcade games
The kids spent all afternoon playing arcade games at the pier.
This bar has a back room full of old arcade games.
He saved his pocket money to play arcade games every weekend.
nounplural
Video games designed in the style of traditional arcade machines, often with simple controls and fast action.
Grammar: Used as a category label: 'arcade games' as a genre.
Patterns
- a fan of arcade games
- download arcade games
- arcade games for mobile
The studio is known for making arcade games with retro graphics.
You can find hundreds of arcade games on that website.
Arcade games usually have simple rules but are hard to master.
Word forms
| singular | arcade game |
|---|
Common combinations
- play arcade games
- We used to play arcade games at the mall.
- classic arcade games
- He collects classic arcade games from the 1980s.
- arcade game machine
- The arcade game machine broke down after years of use.
- a round of arcade games
- Let's go for a round of arcade games after dinner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- video games
- Video games is a broader term that includes console and computer games; arcade games specifically refers to the coin-operated or arcade-style ones.
- coin-ops
- Coin-ops is informal and refers to the machines themselves, not the games.
Word family
- arcade noun
- A place with many coin-operated games and machines.
Commonly confused: arcade games or archade?
arcade games vs archade
This is a common misspelling; the correct spelling is 'arcade'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'arcade games' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The plural 'arcade games' is used after 'playing' to refer to the activity. Option A uses 'a' with a plural, option B omits 'an' and 'a', and option D uses 'an' with a plural, which is incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “arcade games”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.