acrobat

American  

[ak-ruh-bat] / ˈæk rəˌbæt /

noun

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

• 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.

Example Sentences

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

“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

The acrobat, aged in his 20s, fell while riding the "giant wheel of death" apparatus at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth on Wednesday evening.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023

Stanley rode a circus-style acrobat harness out over the crowd to a satellite stage to sing three songs near the end of the show.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 3, 2023

The acrobat tent looms higher than the tents surrounding it and the sign that reads defiance of gravity swings over the entrance only a few paces away.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• clown
• dancer
• gymnast
• performer
• tumbler