Synonyms of pugilist

pugilist

noun

ˈpyü-jə-list 

as in boxer

one that engages in the sport of fighting with the fists

a pugilist with the trademark of the boxing ring: a nose that showed signs of having been broken on more than one occasion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• boxer
• fighter
• gladiator
• prizefighter
• pug
• slugger
• middleweight
• heavyweight
• welterweight
• bantamweight
• featherweight
• palooka
• lightweight
• flyweight
• light heavyweight
• cruiserweight
• stumblebum
• superheavyweight

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pugilist

But a patient pugilist values the muffled thud of shots to the resolve. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026

To his credit, the bloodied Yankees fan fought back much better than most pugilists who give up the high ground. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026

The true-life sports biopic unleashes Leo as Alice, the loud, over-the-top matriarch of a large Boston family and manager mom to Micky Ward, a championship boxing contender trained by his drug-addict pugilist half-brother Dicky. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Mar. 2026

The Boricua pugilist rode a prolonged winning streak heading into his match with Mexican fighter Salvador Sánchez in August 1981. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2026