gymnast
Americannoun
-
gymnasts
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gymnast
1585–95; < Greek gymnastḗs the trainer of the athletes, equivalent to gymnáz ( ein ) ( see 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.
See Examples For:
Welsh gymnast Jemima Taylor, who came in for Ruby Evans, finished seventh.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"For any gymnast that was on the field of play, seeing this not only is difficult, but something you never want to see. It goes to show how hard the sport is."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
American gymnast Kerri Strug was the star of the show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The gymnast Jordan Chiles has said that naps “help regulate my nervous system.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Bars can also be tougher for a power gymnast, which I definitely was, because power gymnasts are used to controlling the apparatus instead of letting it control them.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
The identical Roper twins created a slice of Wales team history as the gymnasts both won Commonwealth Games bronze in Glasgow within a couple of hours of each other.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"I feel that the ICP process failed me and many other gymnasts," Laura says.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Since then, several gymnasts have taken legal action against the governing body.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Having familiar faces of friends and family in the crowd, even when they are competing away from Pauley Pavilion, means a lot to the gymnasts, McDonald said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
I’d known celebrated white gymnasts known for their power, like Mary Lou Retton and Shawn Johnson, and black gymnasts praised for their flowing grace, like Dominque Dawes and Gabby Douglas.
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.
