# gymnastics

/dʒɪmˈnæstɪks/ (US) · /dʒɪmnˈɑːstɪks/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gymnastics
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. the sport

noun · CEFR B1

a sport that involves physical exercises like jumping, balancing, and swinging on bars.

For teachers: a competitive sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness.

- She started gymnastics when she was five and now she is very flexible.
- The young athlete spent years perfecting her gymnastics routine on the balance beam before competing at the national level.

Usage: Treated as a singular noun when referring to the sport or discipline.

### 2. difficult mental or physical tasks

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

difficult or clever movements, or complicated ways of thinking about something.

For teachers: complex intellectual, linguistic, or artistic exercises that require great agility or effort.

- The lawyer had to perform some mental gymnastics to explain why his client was innocent.
- The author's latest novel is full of linguistic gymnastics that challenge even the most attentive readers.

Teaching tip: Often used in the phrase 'mental gymnastics' to describe someone using complicated logic to justify a weak argument.

## Examples

- She practices gymnastics every day after school.
- The school added gymnastics to the physical education curriculum to help students improve their core strength and balance.
- Olympic gymnastics requires a rare combination of explosive power and artistic grace, as athletes must execute complex aerial maneuvers with perfect landing precision.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.