gymnast
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
The decorated gymnast and two-time Olympian recently competed in the latest season of “Dancing With the Stars,” finishing in third place alongside her partner Ezra Sosa.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
For Olympic gymnast Ruby Evans, how she looks is "as important" as the gymnastics itself.
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
The former elite trampoline gymnast put an elegant flair on the skill, splitting her legs in the air and landing on one skate.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026
In an announcement last year unveiling the 2026 medals, Italian rhythmic gymnast Alessia Maurelli said, “An Olympic medal is never just a piece of metal.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
Every gymnast had to perform the same routine, which was set by the US AG and showcased all the skills you had to master for each level.
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.
