acrobat
Americannoun
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a skilled performer of gymnastic feats, as walking on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze.
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a person who readily changes viewpoints or opinions.
noun
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an entertainer who performs acts that require skill, agility, and coordination, such as tumbling, swinging from a trapeze, or walking a tightrope
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a person noted for his frequent and rapid changes of position or allegiances
a political acrobat
Other Word Forms
- acrobatic adjective
- acrobatically adverb
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; 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.
Vocabulary lists containing acrobat
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Fever guard Sydney Colson live-streamed the players’ locker room celebration, Clark leaned in front of the camera and wished the injured acrobat well.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2025
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
Anna Lysytska, a 14-year-old acrobat, said it had been difficult at first to adapt to life in Hungary after fleeing her home in Kharkiv.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2023
“I’m Ernie, and this brilliant acrobat here is my brother, Genie.”
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
