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

gladiatorial

ˌgla-dē-ə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl 

adjective

Synonyms

• boxer
• fighter

Examples of gladiator in a Sentence

the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners

Recent Examples on the Web

That is gladiators without swords. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025

That's gladiators without swords. —Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025

In one utilitarian style, a gladiator-like sandal could be seen with a minimalist square U-shape and hefty toe straps. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025

There’s the feeling that this is all just another day at the office, albeit one with enormous gladiators wandering around in the background. —Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from gladius sword, of Celtic origin; akin to Welsh cleddyf sword

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for gladiator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Kids 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

gladiatorial

ˌglad-ē-ə-ˈtōr-ē-əl 

-ˈtȯr-

adjective

Etymology

from Latin gladiator, literally, "swordsman," from gladius "sword" — related to gladiolus