gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈgla-dē-ˌā-tər 
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
Examples of gladiator in a Sentence
the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners
Recent Examples on the Web
Toughness is a prerequisite for these gladiators to play this violent sport.
—
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
Simply enormous fun would be to see a fine stretch duel between the two Breeders’ Classic gladiators this afternoon, and arguably even more fun for a goodly portion of the players would be to see Fierceness turn the tables and edge out his rock-hard rival.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Set 16 years after the original, Gladiator II follows Hanno (Mescal), a prisoner of war with a secret past who fights in the gladiator ring on behalf of Washington's scheming Macrinus, a former enslaved man hoping to overthrow Rome's twin emperors.
—EW.com, 31 July 2025
The South African singer, who also wore Alaïa gladiator sandals and studded Alexander Wang sandals this month, accented her Amina Muaddi sandals with a gold chain anklet, fitting in with a major accessory trend which has been gaining momentum lately.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
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Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025
Simply enormous fun would be to see a fine stretch duel between the two Breeders’ Classic gladiators this afternoon, and arguably even more fun for a goodly portion of the players would be to see Fierceness turn the tables and edge out his rock-hard rival.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Set 16 years after the original, Gladiator II follows Hanno (Mescal), a prisoner of war with a secret past who fights in the gladiator ring on behalf of Washington's scheming Macrinus, a former enslaved man hoping to overthrow Rome's twin emperors.
—EW.com, 31 July 2025
The South African singer, who also wore Alaïa gladiator sandals and studded Alexander Wang sandals this month, accented her Amina Muaddi sandals with a gold chain anklet, fitting in with a major accessory trend which has been gaining momentum lately.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gladiator
Cite this Entry
“Gladiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gladiator. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gladiator
noun
glad·i·a·tor
ˈglad-ē-ˌāt-ər
1
: a person engaged in a fight to the death for public entertainment in ancient Rome
2
: a person engaging in a fierce fight or controversy
Etymology
from Latin gladiator, literally, "swordsman," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiolus
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