Standard Lemma guide

gladiator

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɡlædiˌeɪ̯tə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈɡlædiˌeɪ̯thə]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /ˈɡlædiˌeɪtɚ/ without t-flapping
  • [ˈɡlædiˌeɪthɚ] without t-flapping
  • /ˈɡlæɾiˌeɪɾɚ/ t-flapping
  • [ˈɡlæɾiˌeɪɾɚ] t-flapping
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: G L AE1 D IY0 EY2 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ancient-Rome

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A disputant in a public controversy or debate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A professional boxer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Synonym of heelwalker (“Any of the order Mantophasmatodea of carnivorous, wingless insects that superficially resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids.”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heelwalker

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To fight as entertainment for others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To compete in a public contest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To debate or argue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To act aggressively toward others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

(ancient Rome) a professional combatant or a captive who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: combatant, battler, belligerent, fighter, scrapper

10

noun

Meaning 10

a professional boxer

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prizefighter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: boxer, pugilist

Narrower terms: featherweight, heavyweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight, lightweight, middleweight, welterweight, Ali, Muhammad Ali, Cassius Clay, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Corbett, Jim Corbett, James John Corbett, Gentleman Jim, Dempsey, Jack Dempsey, William Harrison Dempsey, Manassa Mauler, Liston, Sonny Liston, Charles Liston, Louis, Joe Louis, Joseph Louis Barrow, Marciano, Rocco Marciano, Rocky Marciano, Robinson, Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Walker Smith, Tunney, Gene Tunney, James Joseph Tunney, Tyson, Mike Tyson, Michael Gerald Tyson

History

Etymology

From Latin gladiātor, from gladius (“sword”). See also English gladius.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Arabic: مُجَالِد (mujālid) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Arabic: مُصَارِع (muṣāriʕ) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Armenian: գլադիատոր (gladiator) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Belarusian: гладыя́тар (hladyjátar) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Bulgarian: гладиа́тор (gladiátor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Burmese: ဂလေဒီယေတာ (ga.lediyeta) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Catalan: gladiador — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 角鬥士 /角斗士 (jiǎodòushì) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 劍鬥士 /剑斗士 (jiàndòushì) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Czech: gladiátor — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Danish: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Dutch: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Esperanto: gladiatoro — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Estonian: gladiaator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Finnish: gladiaattori — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • French: gladiateur — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • French: belluaire — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Galician: gladiador — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Georgian: გლადიატორი (gladiaṭori) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • German: Gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Greek: μονομάχος (monomáchos) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Ancient Greek: μονομάχος (monomákhos) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Hebrew: גְּלַדְיָאטוֹר (gladyátor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Hebrew: לוּדָר (ludár) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Hindi: ग्लैडीएटर (glaiḍīeṭar) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Ido: gladiatoro — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Italian: gladiatore — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Japanese: 剣闘士 (kentōshi) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Japanese: グラディエイター (guradieitā) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Korean: 검투사 (geomtusa) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Latin: gladiātor — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Latin: gladiātrīx — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Latvian: gladiators — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Lithuanian: gladiatorius — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Macedonian: гладија́тор (gladijátor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Persian: گلادیاتور (gelâdiyâtor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Polish: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Portuguese: gladiador — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Romanian: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Russian: гладиа́тор (gladiátor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Serbo-Croatian: гладѝја̄тор — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Serbo-Croatian: gladìjātor — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Slovak: gladiátor — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Slovene: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Spanish: gladiador — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Spanish: bestiario — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Swedish: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Tagalog: gladyador — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Thai: กลาดิอาตอร์ — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Turkish: gladyatör — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Ukrainian: гладіа́тор (hladiátor) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Uzbek: gladiator — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal
  • Uzbek: гладиатор (gladiator) — (in ancient Rome) a person (professional or slave) who entertained the public by engaging in mortal combat with another, or with a wild animal