adventurer

IPA/ədˈventʃərə(r)/
KK[ædvˈɛntʃɚɚ]IPA/ədˈventʃərər/

adventurer — noun

  • adventurersingular
  • adventurersplural

1. a person who loves doing thrilling, sometimes risky activities — climbing high m

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who loves doing thrilling, sometimes risky activities — climbing high mountains, sailing across oceans, or exploring jungles — for the excitement and challenge such trips give them.

Example

Eitan is a true adventurer who has hiked across three deserts and climbed Mount Fuji twice.

noun phrase: a true adventurer + relative clause

The young adventurers paddled their canoe down the river despite warnings about strong currents.

plural form describing a group on a risky trip

Common collocations
  • fearless adventurer
  • intrepid adventurer
  • lifelong adventurer
  • young adventurer
Synonyms
  • explorer

    stronger focus on travelling to unknown places to learn about them

  • daredevil

    informal; emphasises reckless physical stunts more than travel

  • thrill-seeker

    informal; focuses on the rush, not on long journeys

Antonyms
  • homebody

    informal; someone who prefers staying at home

Usage Note

Often paired with positive adjectives such as 'fearless', 'intrepid', 'true', or 'lifelong' to praise someone's bravery. Distinguish from sense 2, which carries a strongly negative judgement.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is an adventure who climbs mountains.
My uncle is an adventurer who climbs mountains.
the person is 'adventurer'; 'adventure' is the activity.
She is adventurer.
She is an adventurer.
countable singular noun needs 'a/an' or 'the'.

2. someone who tries to gain money, status, or power through bold but often dishone

2.nounC1
Definition

someone who tries to gain money, status, or power through bold but often dishonest schemes — for example, marrying someone wealthy for their fortune, or running shady business deals — instead of through honest work.

Example

The old novel describes a charming adventurer who married the duchess only to steal her family fortune.

negative connotation: scheming for wealth through marriage

Critics called the new senator a political adventurer who would say anything to win votes.

collocation: political adventurer (opportunist)

Common collocations
  • political adventurer
  • financial adventurer
  • fortune-hunting adventurer
Synonyms
  • opportunist

    neutral-to-negative; someone who exploits chances without principles

  • soldier of fortune

    fights or works for whoever pays best, often abroad

  • speculator

    neutral; takes financial risks but not necessarily dishonest

Antonyms

Usage Note

Frequently modified by 'political', 'financial', or 'fortune-hunting'. The female form 'adventuress' is dated and almost always negative, suggesting a woman who chases wealthy men. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense always carries moral disapproval.

Common Mistakes

He is a brave adventurer who tricked investors.
He is a ruthless adventurer who tricked investors.
pairing 'brave' with this sense sounds approving and contradicts the dishonest meaning.
She is an adventurer in stocks.
She is a speculator in stocks.
for plain risky investing without dishonesty, use 'speculator'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people who chase exciting or risky experiences, but each highlights a different motive. An 'adventurer' enjoys the whole journey — the travel, the unknown, and the personal challenge — and is usually praised for courage. An 'explorer' focuses on discovering new places or facts, often with a scientific or geographic goal, like mapping a jungle. A 'daredevil' is informal and points to flashy, physical stunts such as jumping motorbikes over canyons; the danger itself is the point. A 'thrill-seeker' is also informal but broader, covering anyone who chases the rush, whether by skydiving or riding fast cars. Compare: 'Amelia Earhart was an adventurer and explorer,' versus 'Evel Knievel was a daredevil,' versus 'Weekend thrill-seekers crowd the bungee bridge.'

adventurer ↗explorer ↗daredevil ↗thrill-seeker ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • spirit of an adventurer
  • life of an adventurer
  • heart of an adventurer

Phrases

  • born adventurer
  • true adventurer
  • at heart an adventurer

Prepositions

  • adventurer in (a region/field)
  • adventurer from (a place)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French 'aventurier', meaning a person who takes part in 'aventure' — chance happenings or risky undertakings. The French noun came from Latin 'adventura', literally 'a thing about to happen', from 'advenire' ('to arrive'). Early English uses described soldiers and merchants who took commercial risks abroad; the modern positive sense ('thrill-loving traveller') and the negative sense ('shady fortune-seeker') both grew out of that older idea of throwing oneself at uncertain outcomes.