Definition of gladiator
1 : a person engaged in a fight to the death as public entertainment for ancient Romans
2 : a person engaging in a public fight or controversy
3 : a trained fighter; especially : a professional boxer
From the M-W Editors
Examples of gladiator in a Sentence
the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners
Recent Examples of gladiator from the Web
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As a rule, the prettier the dress, the lower and less elegant the shoe—although sometimes, just sometimes, a bit of footwear madness prevails, such as balletic gladiators and wicked platforms.
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But why be gladiators when there are other options?
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Adults and children also can join a gladiator joust.
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The summer sandal capsule will feature Swarovski crystals and PVC and Perspex clear heels in four styles: two pairs of mules, strappy sandals and gladiator stilettos with prices ranging from $1,265 to $2,325.
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Metta World Peace will battle it out -- gladiator-style -- with Pitch Perfect star Skylar Astin this Wednesday on Spike TV's Lip Sync Battle.
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The Soul beat the Gladiators, 59-49, in the previous matchup, on June 10.
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The video is followed by a live musical interlude by a singer wearing a sequined black minidress and knee-high gladiator sandals.
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The loss, in the last of four straight road games, dropped the Gladiators to 2-7.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gladiator.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of gladiator
Latin, from gladius sword, of Celt origin; akin to Welsh cleddyf sword
GLADIATOR Defined for English Language Learners
gladiator
playDefinition of gladiator for English Language Learners
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: a man in ancient Rome who fought against another man or animal for public entertainment
GLADIATOR Defined for Kids
gladiator
playDefinition of gladiator for Students
: a man in ancient Rome who took part in fights as public entertainment
Learn More about gladiator
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See words that rhyme with gladiator Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gladiator Spanish Central: Translation of gladiator Nglish: Translation of gladiator for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gladiator
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