tightrope

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US/ˈtaɪtˌɹoʊp/

noun

A tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground.

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Meanings

nountightrope (plural tightropes)

plural tightropes · alternative tight-rope · alternative tight rope

  1. A tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground.
  2. figurativelyA difficult or desperate situation.
verbtightrope (third-person singular simple present tightropes, present participle tightroping, simple past and past participle tightroped)

present singular third person tightropes · participle present tightroping · participle past tightroped · past tightroped · alternative tight-rope · alternative tight rope

  1. intransitiveTo walk on a tightrope.

Synonyms & antonyms

Narrower
high wirehighwirelow-wirelow wire
Also see
tightrope-walk

Origin

From tight + rope.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian опънато въже
  • опънато въже (opănato văže)tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Catalan corda fluixa
  • corda fluixatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Chinese Mandarin 鋼絲 /钢丝
  • 鋼絲 /钢丝 (gāngsī)tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Finnish nuora
  • nuoratightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
French corde raide
  • corde raidetightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
German Drahtseil
  • Drahtseiltightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Greek σχοινοβασία
  • σχοινοβασία (schoinovasía)tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Hungarian (drót)kötél
  • (drót)kötél (kifeszített/cirkuszi)tightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Latin fūnis rectus
  • fūnis rectustightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Polish lina
  • linatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Portuguese corda bamba
  • corda bambatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Spanish cuerda floja, soga funambulesca
  • cuerda flojatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
  • soga funambulescatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Swedish lina
  • linatightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Welsh rhaff dyn, rhaff uchel
  • rhaff dyntightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
  • rhaff ucheltightly stretched rope or cable on which acrobats perform high above the ground
Cite this entry
APA

tightrope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tightrope

MLA

“tightrope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tightrope. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tightrope,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tightrope.

Source: tightrope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.