acrobat

acrobat — noun

1. a performer who entertains an audience by balancing, tumbling, swinging, or doin

1.nounB2
Definition

a performer who entertains an audience by balancing, tumbling, swinging, or doing other hard body movements with very fine control.

Example

The acrobat swung above the crowd and landed lightly on the platform.

acrobat + action verb in performance scene

At the night market, one acrobat balanced bowls on her head.

collocation: balance objects on the head

Common collocations
  • circus acrobat
  • skilled acrobat
  • young acrobat
  • team of acrobats
Synonyms
  • gymnast

    usually refers to sport or training rather than stage entertainment

  • tightrope walker

    one specific kind of acrobat who performs on a rope or wire

  • trapeze artist

    aerial performer working on a hanging bar or swing

  • performer

    much broader; does not specifically suggest difficult body movements

Grammar Patterns

an acrobat on the wire

acrobats perform before an audience

Usage Note

Usually names a stage or circus performer rather than someone doing ordinary exercise. More specific labels such as 'tightrope walker', 'trapeze artist', and 'contortionist' refer to particular kinds of acrobat.

Common Mistakes

My sister is an acrobat in yoga class.
My sister is very flexible in yoga class.' / 'My sister is a gymnast.
'acrobat' usually suggests a performance act, not ordinary exercise.
She wants to be a acrobat.
She wants to be an acrobat.
use 'an' before a vowel sound.

Word family

  • acrobatic
    adjectiveC1
  • acrobatics
    nounC1
  • acrobatically
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Acrobat' is the broad word for a performer whose act depends on balance, timing, flexibility, and careful body control. A 'gymnast' may do similar movements, but the focus is usually sport, training, or competition rather than entertaining a crowd. A 'tightrope walker' is one special kind of acrobat who works on a rope or wire. A 'trapeze artist' performs in the air on a hanging bar or swing. A 'contortionist' amazes the audience by bending the body into unusual shapes. So a child in a school event is usually a gymnast, but a circus worker flying between bars is an acrobat, more exactly a trapeze artist.

acrobat ↗gymnast ↗tightrope walkertrapeze artistcontortionist

Common collocations

Nouns

  • circus acrobat
  • aerial acrobat
  • young acrobat
  • team of acrobats

Phrases

  • a troupe of acrobats
  • watch an acrobat perform

Prepositions

  • acrobat on the wire
  • acrobat on the trapeze
  • acrobat in the circus

Etymology

Ancient GreekMiddle GreekFrenchEnglish

English took this word from French 'acrobate'. The older Greek source referred to someone walking on tiptoe or moving high up, built from parts meaning 'high, topmost' and 'to walk or go'. In English, the word first pointed to rope walkers and similar show performers, then widened to other entertainers who do controlled physical tricks.