gymnastics

IPA/dʒɪmˈnæstɪks/
KK[dʒɪmnˈæstɪks]IPA/dʒɪmˈnæstɪks/

gymnastics — noun

1. a sport in which athletes perform carefully controlled acrobatic routines using

1.nounB1
Definition

a sport in which athletes perform carefully controlled acrobatic routines using apparatus like balance beams, vaulting tables, and bars, competing to show physical power, coordination, and suppleness

Example

Kenji started training in gymnastics when he was six years old, and won his first medal at twelve.

trained in gymnastics as a lifelong activity

The school built a new gymnastics centre with modern equipment for its team.

Common collocations
  • do gymnastics
  • gymnastics team
  • gymnastics competition
  • gymnastics equipment
  • gymnastics class
  • gymnastics coach
  • floor routine
Synonyms
  • gymnastic exercise

    more specific, refers to the physical activities rather than the sport as a whole

  • calisthenics

    rhythmic exercises without equipment, less competitive and apparatus-focused

Grammar Patterns

gymnastics + singular verb

Usage Note

Uncountable — use a singular verb: "Gymnastics is an Olympic sport." Do not say "gymnastics are."

Common Mistakes

Gymnastics are very demanding.
Gymnastics is very demanding.
Gymnastics is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb.
She does gymnastic.
She does gymnastics.
The sport is always 'gymnastics', not 'gymnastic'.

2. very clever or quick thinking, speaking, or arguing that allows someone to handl

2.nounC1
Definition

very clever or quick thinking, speaking, or arguing that allows someone to handle complex situations or defend difficult positions

Example

The lawyer's verbal gymnastics convinced the jury to look at the evidence from a new angle.

verbal gymnastics — talking your way through a tough situation

Imran performed some impressive mental gymnastics to justify a decision that went against his earlier promises.

mental gymnastics — clever but possibly dishonest reasoning

Common collocations
  • mental gymnastics
  • verbal gymnastics
  • rhetorical gymnastics
  • intellectual gymnastics
  • gymnastics of logic
  • perform verbal gymnastics
Synonyms
  • cleverness

    less colourful, more general — does not carry the idea of twisting or agility

  • sophistry

    more negative — implies deliberately misleading reasoning

  • mental acrobatics

    very similar in meaning and tone, equally informal

Antonyms
  • simplicity

    straightforward thinking without complex manoeuvres

  • directness

    saying exactly what you mean without clever twists

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] + gymnastics

gymnastics of + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used with a preceding adjective such as mental, verbal, rhetorical, or intellectual. Without the modifier, readers will interpret the word literally as the sport.

Common Mistakes

He used gymnastics to solve the problem.
He used mental gymnastics to solve the problem.
Without 'mental', 'gymnastics' means the sport, not figurative cleverness.
His gymnastics were impressive in the argument.
His verbal gymnastics was impressive.
Even in the figurative sense, the noun stays uncountable and takes a singular verb.

Word family

  • gymnast
    nounB1
  • gymnastic
    adjectiveB2
  • gymnastically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Gymnastics, gymnastic exercise, calisthenics, and acrobatics all involve physical movement, but they differ in setting and equipment. Gymnastics is a structured competitive sport performed on apparatus such as bars, beams, and vaulting tables — it is the broadest term. Gymnastic exercise refers more narrowly to the specific movement drills, often used in training contexts outside competition. Calisthenics describes rhythmic body-weight exercises — push-ups, sit-ups, stretches — done without apparatus, usually for general fitness rather than sport. Acrobatics focuses on spectacular tumbling, balancing, and flipping, often in a circus or performance setting rather than formal competition. For example: "She does gymnastics at the national level" (sport), "warm up with light calisthenics before practice" (fitness), and "the acrobatics in the circus show drew gasps from the crowd" (performance).

gymnastics ↗gymnastic exercisecalisthenics ↗acrobatics ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • set of gymnastics moves
  • piece of gymnastics apparatus

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Gymnastics comes from the Greek word 'gymnastikós', meaning 'fond of or skilled in physical exercise'. The Greek root 'gymnós' means 'naked', because ancient Greek athletes trained without clothing. The word passed through Latin 'gymnasticus' and French 'gymnastique' before entering English in the 16th century, originally referring to any athletic training and later narrowing to the competitive sport we know today.