Meaning & use
cyclist
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
a person who rides a bicycle, especially regularly or as a sport
Grammar: Countable: a cyclist, two cyclists. Use 'cyclist' for the person, not the activity.
Patterns
- a keen cyclist
- a professional cyclist
- cyclists on the road
The driver did not see the cyclist at the junction.
She is a keen cyclist and rides over 100 miles a week.
The city is adding more bike lanes to keep cyclists safe.
nouncountable
a person who competes in bicycle races
Grammar: Countable; often with adjectives like professional, amateur, or Olympic.
Patterns
- professional cyclist
- amateur cyclist
- cyclist in the Tour
He became a professional cyclist after winning the national race.
The cyclists sped past the crowd in a tight group.
She is the youngest cyclist ever to win that event.
Word forms
| plural | cyclists |
|---|
Common combinations
- keen cyclist
- My uncle is a keen cyclist who rides every day.
- professional cyclist
- A professional cyclist trains for several hours daily.
- cyclist safety
- The campaign focuses on cyclist safety in busy cities.
- a group of cyclists
- A group of cyclists blocked the narrow road.
Synonyms and how they differ
- biker
- Often refers to someone on a motorbike or a mountain bike, so it is less exact for road cyclists.
- rider
- More general and can mean someone on a horse or motorbike; 'cyclist' is clearer for bicycles.
Word family
Commonly confused: cyclist or biker?
cyclist vs biker
A biker may ride a motorbike or a mountain bike; a cyclist usually rides a bicycle, often on roads.
Practice
Choose the best word: 'The ___ was wearing a bright yellow jacket so drivers could see him.'
Choose one answer.
We need a singular person noun after 'The', so 'cyclist' is correct. 'Cycling' is the activity, 'cycle' is a verb or a noun for the bike, and 'cyclists' is plural and does not fit 'was'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cyclist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.