funambulist

American  

[fyoo-nam-byuh-list] / fyuˈnæm byə lɪst /

noun

1. a tightrope walker.

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funambulist British  

/ fjuːˈnæmbjʊlɪst /

noun

1. a tightrope walker

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Other Word Forms

• funambulism noun

Etymology

Origin of funambulist

1785–95; < Latin fūnambul ( us ) “ropedancer” (from fūn(is) “rope, line” + ambul(āre) “to walk” + -us, noun suffix; funiculus, amble ) + -ist

Explanation

The key to remembering funambulist is "ambulate," which comes from the Latin root meaning "to walk" — in this case referring to someone who walks on a tightrope. Funambulist isn't related to the word fun in the sense of "an enjoyable activity" — although you might find it enjoyable to learn to walk a tightrope or, if you're afraid of heights, to watch someone else walk a tightrope. The "fun" in funambulist comes from the Latin funis, or "rope."

Example Sentences

Jay O. Sanders, her husband, is another dramatic funambulist who has appeared in all 12 plays.

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2021

Philippe’s mentor is an irascible Czech funambulist played, as an irascible Czech funambulist in a movie of this kind must be played, by Ben Kingsley.

From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2015

People can walk up inside the Ruckus World Trade Center, looking at its "tenants," finally meeting a diminutive figure of the funambulist Philippe Petit walking the rope between the towers.

From Time Magazine Archive

It rounds out completely our impression of watching the most expert funambulist in English letters.

From Shelburne Essays, Third Series by More, Paul Elmer

It may astonish the reader to know that the funambulist or rope-dancer was very expert with the Greeks, as also was the acrobat between knives and swords.

From The Dance (by An Antiquary) Historic Illustrations of Dancing from 3300 B.C. to 1911 A.D. by Anonymous

Related Words

• clown
• dancer
• gymnast
• performer
• tumbler