gymnast
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- nongymnast noun
Etymology
Origin of gymnast
1585–95; < Greek gymnastḗs the trainer of the athletes, equivalent to gymnáz ( ein ) ( gymnasium 1 ) + -tēs agent suffix
Explanation
A gymnast is a person who trains in and practices the sport of gymnastics. If you become a gymnast, you'll learn to walk and jump and even do cartwheels on a balance beam. Athletes who participate in gymnastics are gymnasts. During competitions, gymnasts perform routines on uneven and parallel bars; vault over a special "horse" or table; and demonstrate a series of floor moves including back flips, handstands, and leaps. Gymnast comes from gymnastics, which is based on the Greek gynmastikos, "skilled in bodily exercise," from the root gymnazein, "to exercise."
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.
When gymnast Jordan Chiles was stripped of her bronze medal by the International Olympic Committee, Flav gifted her a bronze, oversized clock necklace as a replacement.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
Starting in the third grade, I trained at a gym to compete as an Olympic gymnast.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026
Switzerland’s highest court has sent the case of Jordan Chiles’ disputed bronze medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics back to the CAS based on ‘new evidence’ that might prove favorable for the U.S. gymnast.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
US gymnast Jordan Chiles's bid to retain her Paris Olympics bronze medal will continue after Switzerland's top court sent the matter back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
If a gymnast performed well enough, Martha just might notice her and invite her to developmental camp at the world-famous gymnastics training center she and her husband, Bela Karolyi, operate in Huntsville, Texas.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
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.
