wrestling
Americannoun
-
a sport in which two opponents struggle hand to hand in order to pin or press each other's shoulders to the mat or ground, with the style, rules, and regulations differing widely in amateur and professional matches.
-
the act of a person who wrestles.
noun
Etymology
Origin of wrestling
before 1100; Middle English; Old English wrǣstlunge. See wrestle, -ing 1
Explanation
Wrestling is a sport in which two athletes compete to see who can hold the other down, using specific moves. If you enjoy grappling with your brother, pinning each other to the couch, you might want to take up wrestling. Wrestling is one of the oldest sports, dating back to the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians. The original Greek Olympics included a brutal, violent form of wrestling. If you watch or participate in high school or college wrestling, you know that these days, it's a highly controlled, athletic sport. So-called professional wrestling, on the other hand, is mainly a form of entertainment, featuring gaudy costumes and elaborately choreographed moves.
Vocabulary lists containing wrestling
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.
Going forward, Gordon said he hopes to keep any "angry Welsh nana's" on his side of the wrestling ring, adding that the group of four were "natural performers".
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
From estate agent to wrestling superstardom in Mexico.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Regulators are wrestling with the arrangements, which have led to a surge in “affiliated” transactions where the private-asset firms are managing the investments for their insurance units.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
It is the same product professional wrestling has sold for decades, but at least the WWE has the honesty to admit the whole thing is staged.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
At the funeral games held in his honor Atalanta appeared among the contestants, and in the wrestling match conquered the young man who was to be the father of Achilles, the great hero Peleus.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
