prizefighter

noun

prize·​fight·​er ˈprīz-ˌfī-tər 

plural prizefighters

: a professional boxer who competes in matches for money prizes

Grandpa James himself was a prizefighter in Tampa before moving to Key West during the Depression. … Five years ago he coldcocked a 33-year-old man with a left hook.

—Rick Telander

Synonyms of prizefighter

• boxer
• fighter

Examples of prizefighter in a Sentence

a prizefighter who is generally acknowledged to be one of the ring's most dangerous men

Recent Examples on the Web

Ali won, but both prizefighters left a part of themselves in that ring. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Among the line-up are several Black Americans, one of whom is Oscar Rankin, a Black prizefighter and preacher, well known in the Black community. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

But Ford had stripped these two unpainted entries down to the chassis, like prizefighters shedding final pounds before weigh-in. — Eric Moskowitz, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026

The explosive jazz‑rock pianist – known for redefining piano performance with the physicality of a prizefighter and the swagger of a rock guitarist – is set to turn the DIA’s auditorium into something closer to a sonic combustion chamber. — Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "person participating in a prize," from prise, price, prize "sporting contest usually between two opponents, as a fencing or wrestling match" (of uncertain origin) + fighter, after fight a prize "to enter into a duel or contest"; the initial element was later taken as prize entry 1

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prizefighter

• copywriter
• expediter
• underwriter
• biter
• brighter
• fighter
• lighter
• miter
• niter
• reiter
• righter
• slighter