sailor

sailor — noun

1. Someone who serves as a crew member on a ship or boat, doing tasks such as steer

1.nounB1
Definition

Someone who serves as a crew member on a ship or boat, doing tasks such as steering, repairing equipment, and handling cargo.

Example

As a young sailor on a cargo ship, Asher learned to tie knots and climb rigging.

sailor on + [ship type]

Piotr's grandfather was a sailor who traveled to ports all over the world.

Common collocations
  • trained sailor
  • fellow sailor
  • merchant sailor
  • old sailor
Synonyms
  • seaman

    More formal register; often used in official documents, naval contexts, or legal language

  • mariner

    Literary or old-fashioned; common in historical writing and formal titles

  • crew member

    Focuses on the person's role within a team rather than the profession itself

Antonyms
  • landsman

    Someone with no experience at sea

Grammar Patterns

sailor + on + [ship/boat]

sailor + verb of action

Usage Note

Can refer to both officers and regular crew, though it emphasizes hands-on shipboard work rather than command duties.

Common Mistakes

The sailor from the yacht race won the trophy.' (when meaning a sports sailor)
The sailor on the cargo ship worked twelve-hour shifts.
'sailor' can mean either a professional crew member or a sports sailor; context about work and ship type disambiguates.

2. A person who enjoys sailing boats with sails as a hobby, for leisure, or in raci

2.nounB2
Definition

A person who enjoys sailing boats with sails as a hobby, for leisure, or in racing competitions.

Example

Xiu is an experienced sailor who races her small boat every weekend at the lake.

experienced sailor + races + [body of water]

The coastal club has over a hundred sailors who compete in regional regattas.

Common collocations
  • keen sailor
  • avid sailor
  • weekend sailor
  • competitive sailor
Synonyms
  • yachtsman

    Specifically someone who sails a yacht; often suggests higher income or leisure-oriented sailing

  • boatman

    More general; can refer to anyone who operates a boat, not necessarily using sails

Grammar Patterns

sailor + verb of recreation

experienced sailor

Common Mistakes

My uncle is a sailor in the navy.' (when meaning a sports sailor)
My uncle is a sailor who takes his boat out on the lake every Sunday.
'sailor' in the sports sense refers to recreational sailing, not military service.

3. Used in the phrases 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor' to describe whether a per

3.nounB2
Definition

Used in the phrases 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor' to describe whether a person becomes sick from the movement of a boat on water — not about their skill or job.

Example

Tomás is a good sailor — he never feels sick on the roughest ferry crossing.

good sailor — never feels sick

Reema was a bad sailor and spent most of the cruise lying in her cabin.

Common collocations
  • good sailor
  • bad sailor

Grammar Patterns

a good/bad sailor

Usage Note

Only used in the fixed expressions 'a good sailor' and 'a bad sailor'. Does not comment on sailing ability or profession — it exclusively refers to whether someone gets seasick.

Common Mistakes

He is a good sailor, so the captain trusts him with steering the ship.' (mixing sense 1 and sense 3)
He is a good sailor
he never gets seasick even in stormy weather.' — 'good sailor' in this sense only refers to not getting seasick, not to competence or rank.
Idioms

a good/bad sailor

idiom

A person who does not get sick or gets sick easily when traveling on a boat or ship.

Maya is a good sailor, so she enjoyed the ferry ride.

Is your brother a bad sailor? He looked very pale on the boat.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who works on or operates a vessel, but they differ in register, scope, and connotation. 'Seaman' is the most formal and often carries naval or official overtones — you would find it on a ship's manifest or in a legal document. 'Mariner' belongs to a more literary or historical register; it appears in poetry, nautical fiction, and formal titles. 'Boatman' is the broadest of the group and refers to anyone who operates a small boat for transport, fishing, or hire, not necessarily using sails. 'Yachtsman' is narrower, describing someone who sails a yacht, typically for leisure or sport, and often implies a degree of wealth. Use 'sailor' as the neutral everyday choice for both professional crew and recreational sailors.

seamanmarinerboatman ↗yachtsman

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • old sailor
  • experienced sailor
  • fellow sailor
  • merchant sailor

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Sailor comes from Middle English 'sailour', borrowed from Old French 'sailour' (one who sails), which was formed from 'sail' (a sail) plus the agent suffix '-our'. It gradually replaced the Old English word 'sċipere' (ship-person) during the late Middle Ages as French-derived vocabulary became more common in English.