Meaning & use
grimpeur
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablespecialistsport
A cyclist who excels at riding uphill and often wins in mountainous stages.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a grimpeur' or 'grimpeurs' for more than one.
Patterns
- a grimpeur in the Tour de France
- the best grimpeur of his generation
He is a pure grimpeur, so he struggles on flat time trials.
The team signed a talented grimpeur to help in the mountains.
She proved she is a true grimpeur by winning the queen stage.
nouncountablespecialistsport
A type of road bike designed for climbing hills, typically lightweight and with low gears.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'bike' or 'bicycle' understood.
Patterns
- ride a grimpeur
- a grimpeur bike
For the mountain route, he chose his grimpeur over the aero road bike.
Modern grimpeurs often weigh less than 7 kg.
Word forms
| plural | grimpeurs |
|---|
Common combinations
- pure grimpeur
- He is a pure grimpeur who cannot sprint.
- talented grimpeur
- The team signed a talented grimpeur for the Tour.
- win as a grimpeur
- She won as a grimpeur on the steep finish.
- grimpeur's climb
- This is a grimpeur's climb, not for sprinters.
Synonyms and how they differ
- climber
- The everyday English word for the same idea; use it in general conversation, while 'grimpeur' is more technical and literary.
- mountain goat
- Informal and often approving; describes a rider who is exceptionally good uphill, but it is not a neutral technical term.
Opposites
Commonly confused: grimpeur or grimper?
grimpeur vs grimper
This is the French verb meaning 'to climb'; English uses 'grimpeur' only for the rider or bike, not for the action.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'grimpeur' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because a grimpeur is a cyclist who excels uphill, so attacking on a mountain pass fits. Option 0 is wrong because grimpeurs are not specialists in flat stages. Options 2 and 3 are wrong because 'grimpeur' is a noun, not a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grimpeur”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.