acrobat

American  

[ak-ruh-bat] / ˈæk rəˌbæt /

noun

• acrobats
  plural

1. a skilled performer of gymnastic feats, as walking on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze.

2. a person who readily changes viewpoints or opinions.

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acrobat British  

/ ˈækrəˌbæt /

noun

1. an entertainer who performs acts that require skill, agility, and coordination, such as tumbling, swinging from a trapeze, or walking a tightrope

2. a person noted for his frequent and rapid changes of position or allegiances

   a political acrobat

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• acrobatic
  adjective
• acrobatically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• acrobats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of acrobat

First recorded in 1815–25; from French acrobate, from Greek akróbatos “walking on tiptoe,” equivalent to akro- prefix meaning “height, extremity” + -batos, verbal adjective of baínein “to go”; the French word may be a recoinage, or an etymological reading of the Greek word; see acro-

Explanation

An acrobat is someone who skillfully performs gymnastic feats or other actions that involve agility and balance, such as a trapeze artist soaring through the air, or a tightrope walker at the circus. You may be tempted to conclude that the bat in acrobat is a tribute to the animal that soars through the air when not hanging upside down. The source is not quite that creative. It comes from bainein, which is Greek for "to walk." The acro bit comes from akros, meaning "highest point." So acrobat is a reference to the classic and possibly first trick perfected by these artists, tightrope walking.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acrobat acrobats

The sport isn’t the same without Carlos Alcaraz, its sunny, electric, endlessly scampering 23-year-old acrobat from Spain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

For mum Kelly, it's her job as a circus acrobat.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2025

“They used me as a model in their diving program,” says Louganis, who trained as an acrobat and dancer as a child before moving to diving.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2024

But the first visitor it recorded was dangling from its hind legs like a Squirrel du Soleil acrobat feasting on the bird seed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2024

Then the little acrobat spun through the air to land on top of Nyame’s fuzzy golden-gray afro.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

That word came up many times during the show’s first audition rounds as dancers, singers, magicians, acrobats and a contortionist took the stage.

From Salon ● May 31, 2025

The monarchs met farmers, artists, acrobats and sea shanty singers during the visit, as well as Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn, First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2025

Like acrobats, the crew scurried up the masts to the upper topgallant sails that rose nearly 200 feet above us.

From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

Between the booths and stores, whoever could squeeze a space—a magician who could turn dirt into gold, twenty- five acrobats on one unicycle, a man who could swim—displayed his or her newest feat for money.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

Related Words

• clown
• dancer
• gymnast
• performer
• tumbler