Gladiator
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal. Ancient-Rome
"My mother prepared herself for the evening with the same somber deliberateness of the gladiators in Spartacus."
- 2 (ancient Rome) a professional combatant or a captive who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat wordnet
- 3 A disputant in a public controversy or debate. broadly
- 4 a professional boxer wordnet
- 5 A professional boxer.
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- 6 Synonym of heelwalker (“Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.”).
- 1 To fight as entertainment for others.
"When the dance was done there was the cock-fight, or rather a century of cock-fights, to be reckoned with. For two hundred of these luckless creatures 'gladiatored' bravely, while an appreciative audience held matting up to its chin to keep from being bespattered with blood."
- 2 To compete in a public contest.
"I played very well as was evidenced in that I was the only participant in the entire six or seven days of wind gladiatoring who received a standing ovation from the orchestra, no less."
- 3 To debate or argue.
"He did his gladiatoring doubtless without malice, and from a purely sporting instinct — even as Mr. Punch gave the provocation."
- 4 To act aggressively toward others.
"Why, thin, Mister Levi Slam, don't you think now that a volley poured into them haythen mosquitos beyant would put a stop to their gladiatoring a little?"
Example
More examples"Putting his trust in God and taking the bull by the horns, the Christian gladiator defeated many adversaries."
Etymology
From Latin gladiātor, from gladius (“sword”). See also English gladius.
Related phrases
More for "gladiator"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.