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Synonyms

boxer

1 American  
[bok-ser] / ˈbɒk sər /

noun

  1. a person who fights as a sport, usually with gloved fists, according to set rules; prize-fighter; pugilist.

  2. one of a German breed of medium-sized, stocky, short-haired, pug-faced dogs having a brindled or tan coat with white markings.

  3. a person or thing that packs items into boxes. box.

  4. boxers. boxer shorts.

Boxer 2 American  
[bok-ser] / ˈbɒk sər /

noun

  1. a member of a Chinese secret society that carried on an unsuccessful uprising, 1898–1900 BoxerRebellion, principally against foreigners, culminating in a siege of foreign legations in Peking (now Beijing) that was put down by an international expeditionary force.

Boxer 1 British  
/ ˈbɒksə /

noun

    1. a member of a nationalistic Chinese secret society that led an unsuccessful rebellion in 1900 against foreign interests in China

    2. ( as modifier )

      the Boxer Rebellion
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
boxer 2 British  
/ ˈbɒksə /

noun

  1. a person who boxes, either professionally or as a hobby; pugilist

  2. a medium-sized smooth-haired breed of dog with a short nose and a docked tail

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of boxer1

First recorded in 1735–45; box 2 + -er 1

Origin of Boxer2

First recorded in 1895–1900; translation of Chinese yìhé juǎn “Righteous Harmony Fist,” name of the militant policy of the yìhé tuán “Righteous Harmony Group”

Explanation

Someone taking part in a sport in which two people punch each other with big padded gloves is a boxer. If you want to be a boxer, you'll need to build your arm strength and practice fast-moving footwork. If you spend time training at a boxing gym, sparring in the ring with partners who dance around throwing jabs in your direction, you can call yourself a boxer. If your job involves putting things into cardboard boxes, you're another kind of boxer. A third meaning of this word is a smooth-coated, serious-faced breed of dog that's named for its habit of standing up and "boxing" with its paws when it plays with other dogs.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sutton's guest for this weekend's four quarter-final ties is boxer and Crystal Palace fan Richard Riakporhe.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Maybe Trump prefers the boxer Mike Tyson's modern version: "everyone has a plan until they get hit."

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

"The World Boxing Medical Committee considered and evaluated the medical documentation presented and determined that the boxer was deemed to be female and eligible to compete in the female category," it said.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

I first heard his name at Anaheim High School in the mid-1990s and thought my teacher was talking about Julio Cesar Chavez, the famous Mexican boxer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

"The kids would really look up to a boxer."

From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.