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Synonyms

juggler

American  
[juhg-ler] / ˈdʒʌg lər /

noun

  • jugglers
    plural
  1. a person who performs juggling feats, as with balls or knives.

  2. a person who deceives by trickery; trickster.


juggler British  
/ ˈdʒʌɡlə /

noun

  1. a person who juggles, esp a professional entertainer

  2. a person who fraudulently manipulates facts or figures

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of juggler

before 1100; Middle English jogelour, jogeler, jugelour < Anglo-French jogelour, jugelur, Old French jogleor, jougleor ( see jongleur) ≪ Latin joculātor joker, equivalent to joculā ( rī ) ( see juggle) + -tor -tor; replacing Old English gēogelere magician, cognate with German Gaukler, both directly < Latin, as above

Explanation

A juggler is someone who can toss and catch several objects at once, always keeping at least one of them in the air at any given moment. If you want to become a juggler, try juggling tennis balls instead of fiery torches. Watching a juggler perform can be awe-inspiring, especially if she's juggling knives or some other dangerous set of objects. You can become a juggler simply by learning to juggle, and professional jugglers can work for circuses or perform for money at festivals and street fairs. Juggler, jester, and wizard all once shared a meaning as well as a root, the Old English geogelere, "magician or conjurer."

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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:

In a league where job security these days ranks somewhere between knife juggler and gator wrangler, the 44-year-old Spaniard is one of only three managers even hired before 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Barabak: The criticism of this collective field is that it’s terminally boring, as if we’re looking to elect a stand-up comic, a chanteuse or a juggler.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2026

There was a rock band, strobe lights, and a juggler.

From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2025

So now I'm a writer and a hustler: coach, software entrepreneur, ghostwriter, teacher, juggler — my decision.

From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2024

We passed a juggler and a man playing a sweetly sad song on a mandolin.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

The international performers who have become part of the “Stamptown” universe run the gamut from jugglers to steel drum players to acrobats to pianists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Stilt walkers, dancers and jugglers with LED clubs entertained the crowds that came to see the spectacle, coordinated by Pontypridd-based Citrus Arts.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2023

Circus Abyssinia: Tulu, a new production from the Ethiopian troupe of aerialists and jugglers, has a noon matinee at the New Victory Theater.

From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2022

The mood inside Pumpkin Ridge was light, with jugglers and other entertainment, interactive fan activities and food carts offering an array of cuisines.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 1, 2022

I pass food stalls and dance stages, jugglers and fire-eaters, acrobats, Kehannis, singers, and players.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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