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
• prizefighter
• pug
• pugilist

Examples of gladiator in a Sentence

the two punch-drunk gladiators stumbled to their corners

Recent Examples on the Web

Lucius returns to Rome after being forced into slavery to battle not as a ruler but as a gladiator out for revenge and power, seeking to return the glory of Rome to its people. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024

The video then shows a series of scenes depicting Trump as a gladiator, speeches from wrestler Hulk Hogan and various images of flags and rockets. —Bruna Horvath, NBC News, 29 Oct. 2024

Like Mescal, Pascal went through intense gladiator training. —EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024

Elsewhere, a bold gladiator kicks things up a notch. —WWD, 23 Sep. 2024

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

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