pugilist

noun

pu·​gi·​list ˈpyü-jə-list How to pronounce pugilist (audio)
: fighter
especially : a professional boxer

Examples of pugilist in a Sentence

a pugilist with the trademark of the boxing ring: a nose that showed signs of having been broken on more than one occasion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Carbajal does some dapper clowning around and Morales-Woolery is a very funny faux pugilist but the comedy never quite catches fire. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2024 Bloom is the center of the drama, his handsome leading man visage transformed by prosthetics that give him a broken nose, cauliflower ears, and a pugilist's demeanor. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 6 Sep. 2024 By contrast, a court transformed into a pugilist for right-wing partisans has tanked its public approval and spread legal chaos, which inevitably follows radical departures from precedent. Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post, 23 July 2024 The fitness center even has a full-size boxing ring where a champion pugilist offers private lessons. Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pugilist 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1740, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pugilist was circa 1740

Dictionary Entries Near pugilist

Cite this Entry

“Pugilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pugilist. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pugilist

noun
pu·​gi·​list ˈpyü-jə-ləst How to pronounce pugilist (audio)
pugilistic
ˌpyü-jə-ˈlis-tik
adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!