acrobat

noun

ac·​ro·​bat ˈa-krə-ˌbat 

1

: one that performs gymnastic feats requiring skillful control of the body

2

a

: one skillful at exercises of intellectual or artistic dexterity

b

: one adept at swiftly changing or adapting a position or viewpoint

a political acrobat

Synonyms

• gymnast
• turner

Examples of acrobat in a Sentence

a child who is a natural acrobat with a superb sense of balance

a political acrobat whose opinion on any issue is whatever will get the most votes

Recent Examples on the Web

But Monfils, tennis acrobat and magician, did the math. —Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025

The movie perks up when Michael Keaton and Eva Green arrive as a ruthless impresario and his sensitive acrobat girlfriend, and Burton envisions his obvious Disneyland analog as a capitalist hellscape. —Josh Bell, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024

Think fire dancers, aerial acrobats suspended from the roof, and live jazz. —Shivani Vora, Architectural Digest, 30 Dec. 2024

So, cue the aerialists, contortionists, acrobats (two on roller-skates, and no wife has ever trusted a husband more), a sand artist, a speed juggler and a dude who surfs on an ever-growing stack of rolling cylinders. —David Dickstein, Orange County Register, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French acrobates, acrobate, borrowed from Middle Greek akrobátēs "tightrope walker," agent derivative of Greek akróbatos "walking on tiptoe," from akro- acro- + -batos, verbal adjective from baínein "to walk, go" — more at come entry 1

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

acrobat

noun

ac·​ro·​bat ˈak-rə-ˌbat 

: a person (as a circus performer) who is very good at stunts like jumping, balancing, tumbling, and swinging from things

acrobatic

ˌak-rə-ˈbat-ik 

adjective

acrobatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb