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 of acrobat

• gymnast

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

Seventy feet above our heads was a steel rigging grid that can hold 221 tons of screens, robotics, and acrobats, elements that Romain’s team installs each day from scratch. — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026

In the main square, Djemaa el Fna, travelers will find snake charmers, jugglers, flamethrowers and acrobats. — Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Few crowds, lines at the fair Small groups gathered for events Monday afternoon, including a wood-sawing contest near the rodeo and an acrobat performance, but crowd sizes remained modest. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Drones and water choreography, acrobats, and a floating pianist paired with over-the-top performances by Leona Lewis and opera singer Joseph Calleja transformed the night into a spectacle. — Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 29 June 2026

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

Rhymes for acrobat

• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat
• diplomat
• guzerat

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