wrestling

1 of 2

noun

wres·​tling ˈre-sliŋ 

ˈra-;

ˈre-sᵊl-iŋ, 

ˈra-

1

: a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals try to throw, force, or pin each other to the ground

My favorite sport in school was wrestling.

—often used before another noun

a wrestling coach

wrestling matches

2

: a staged and often scripted theatrical dramatization of wrestling : professional wrestling

… the choreographed wrestling that has made millionaires of over-sized bad actors.

—Tom Ford

Her current … gimmick, a blend of old-school Hollywood glamour and unhinged aggression, has become one of the most popular and entertaining acts in all of wrestling.

—Andrew Ravens

—often used before another noun

a wrestling star

… while his persona might be all about chaos, underneath is a hard worker who is making waves in the wrestling world.

—Orlander Ruming

wrestling

2 of 2

present participle of wrestle entry 1

Examples of wrestling in a Sentence

Noun

My favorite sport is wrestling.

He was on the wrestling team in high school.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

American Jordan Burroughs earns another wrestling world title. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

The announcements said something about wrestling, and my curiosity got the better of me. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

In this exquisite and intimate portrait, director Erik Shirai pulls back the curtain on the ancient Japanese sport of sumo wrestling and reveals how sumo’s most elite athletes must balance cultural pride, ambition, and sacrifice. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

In June 2026, Abdalla launched PRODUCE, a wrestling and live-entertainment platform presented by Orange Crush. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English wrastlinge, going back to Old English wrǣstlunge, from wrǣstlian* "to wrestle entry 1" + -unge -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wrestling

• arm wrestling
• Indian wrestling
• professional wrestling
• pro wrestling
• wrist wrestling

Kids Definition

wrestling

noun

wres·​tling ˈres-liŋ 

: the sport in which two contestants wrestle each other