gymnast

gymnast — noun

1. someone whose body is trained to perform controlled, skillful movements such as

1.nounB1
Definition

someone whose body is trained to perform controlled, skillful movements such as flips, balances, and vaults, usually as a sport or in competition

Example

The young gymnast landed cleanly on the mat after turning her body in the air.

At age seven, Bao joined a local club and trained to become a competitive gymnast.

collocation: competitive gymnast

Common collocations
  • competitive gymnast
  • Olympic gymnast
  • professional gymnast
  • young gymnast
  • former gymnast
  • national gymnast
  • rhythmic gymnast
  • artistic gymnast
Synonyms
  • athlete

    broader term for any person trained in sport; a gymnast is a specific type of athlete

  • acrobat

    performs similar flips and balances but usually for entertainment (circus, shows) rather than sport competition

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + gymnast

gymnast + who/that

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adjectives of skill level (competitive gymnast, Olympic gymnast, professional gymnast) or nationality (American gymnast, Japanese gymnast).

Common Mistakes

She is a gymnastics.
She is a gymnast.
'gymnastics' is the sport or activity; 'gymnast' is the person who does it.
He has been a gym for five years.
He has been a gymnast for five years.
'gym' is a place; 'gymnast' is the person.

Word family

  • gymnastics
    nounB1
  • gymnastic
    adjectiveB2
  • gymnastically
    adverbC1
  • gym
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A gymnast is a specific type of athlete who specializes in gymnastics — a sport involving jumps, flips, balances, and vaults. While all gymnasts are athletes (a broad term for anyone trained in physical sport), not all athletes are gymnasts. An acrobat also performs flips and balances, but usually for entertainment in a circus or show, not for sport competition. 'Gymnastics' is the name of the activity itself, not the person. For example: 'Nadia was a talented gymnast who trained six hours a day on the uneven bars.' Compare: 'The circus acrobat walked across a tightrope high above the crowd' (entertainment, not sport) versus 'The gymnast scored a perfect ten on her floor routine at the Olympics' (sport competition with a judging panel).

athlete ↗acrobat ↗gymnastics ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • competitive gymnast
  • Olympic gymnast
  • professional gymnast
  • young gymnast
  • former gymnast
  • national-level gymnast
  • retired gymnast

Prepositions

  • gymnast from [country/team]
  • gymnast for [club/nation]

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word gymnast comes from the ancient Greek word 'gymnastes' (γυμναστής), which meant a trainer of athletes. This comes from 'gymnazein' (γυμνάζειν), meaning 'to exercise naked' — because Greek athletes trained without clothes. The root 'gymnos' (γυμνός) means 'naked' and also gives us the modern word 'gym'. The word traveled from Greek into Latin as 'gymnasta', then into French as 'gymnaste', and finally into English in the late 1500s.