pugilist

noun

pu·​gi·​list ˈpyü-jə-list How to pronounce pugilist (audio)
: fighter
especially : a professional boxer

Examples of pugilist in a Sentence

a pugilist with the trademark of the boxing ring: a nose that showed signs of having been broken on more than one occasion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Why Exit Planning Can’t Wait Returning to our boxing metaphor, a big plot point of Rocky IV centers on the pugilist’s unease with complacency. Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 She is next slated to appear in the boxing drama Christy, based on the life of real professional pugilist Christy Martin. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025 Even Kamala Harris, maybe especially Harris, fits that insider image, and certainly Gavin Newsom, despite zigzagging from centrist to pugilist, can’t forward his presidential ambitions as anything but old-guard. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 Bernthal, with his handsome pugilist’s profile, plays Braxton’s emotions explosively close to the surface. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pugilist

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1740, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pugilist was circa 1740

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugilist. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

pugilist

noun
pu·​gi·​list ˈpyü-jə-ləst How to pronounce pugilist (audio)
pugilistic
ˌpyü-jə-ˈlis-tik
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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