high jumper: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2neutral, semi-formal in sports contexts; informal in extended use.
Quick answer
What does “high jumper” mean?
An athlete who competes in the high jump, a track and field event where participants jump over a horizontal bar.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An athlete who competes in the high jump, a track and field event where participants jump over a horizontal bar.
Informally, can refer to someone or something that jumps or leaps to a great height (e.g., a performing animal, a vehicle with good suspension).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slight preference for 'high jumper' (solid) in US English vs. possible hyphenation 'high-jumper' in some UK styles, though solid form is dominant.
Connotations
In both varieties, strongly associated with Olympic/athletic achievement.
Frequency
Equal frequency in sports contexts; near-zero in general non-sporting discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “high jumper” in a Sentence
[high jumper] + [verb: cleared, failed at, qualified for][determiner] + [adjective] + [high jumper]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “high jumper” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in sports science, physiology papers discussing biomechanics of the event.
Everyday
Used when discussing sports, Olympics, school athletics.
Technical
Used in coaching, athletics commentary, sports journalism.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “high jumper”
- Using 'high jumper' for the event itself (the event is 'the high jump').
- Capitalising unnecessarily unless part of a title.
- Misspelling as 'highjumper' (less common).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is commonly written as two separate words ('high jumper'). Some style guides may accept a hyphen ('high-jumper'), but the solid compound 'highjumper' is rare.
Primarily no. Its core meaning is an athlete. Informally, it could describe an animal (e.g., a show-jumping horse) or a vehicle known for traversing rough terrain, but this is metaphorical and uncommon.
A high jumper clears a horizontal bar using only the body's leap, often using the 'Fosbury Flop' technique. A pole vaulter uses a flexible pole to propel themselves over a much higher bar.
It is a standard, neutral term within sports vocabulary. It is not overly formal, but it is also not slang. In non-sports contexts, it would sound specific and technical.
An athlete who competes in the high jump, a track and field event where participants jump over a horizontal bar.
High jumper: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhaɪ ˌdʒʌm.pər/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhaɪ ˌdʒʌm.pɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly with 'high jumper'. Related: 'set the bar high'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a JUMPER (sweater) with a very HIGH collar. The athlete is jumping so high they need a special high-collared jumper.
Conceptual Metaphor
ACHIEVEMENT IS HEIGHT ('a rising star', 'jumping to new heights').
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'high jumper' correctly?