paragliders

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   People who fly using a light, wide canopy that fills with air and carries them through the sky.

   Grammar: Plural of 'paraglider'; use a plural verb: 'The paragliders are landing.'

   Patterns

   • paragliders launch from something
   • a group of paragliders

   The paragliders circled slowly above the valley before coming down on the beach.

   A dozen paragliders waited on the ridge for the wind to pick up.

   My cousin is one of those paragliders who spend every free weekend in the mountains.

2. 2nounpluraltechnical

   The glider-like wings themselves, each made of fabric with lines and a harness for the pilot.

   Grammar: Refers to the equipment, not the people; often with 'their' or a number.

   Patterns

   • pack a paraglider
   • a paraglider with something

   They folded their paragliders neatly and carried them down the hill.

   Modern paragliders are much safer and lighter than the ones built twenty years ago.

   The school keeps six paragliders for beginners.

Word forms

Common combinations

a paraglider pilot

Every paraglider pilot must check the wind before launching.

launch a paraglider

You launch a paraglider by running down a slope until the wing lifts you.

tandem paraglider

We booked a tandem paraglider flight for our anniversary.

paraglider accident

A paraglider accident closed the mountain road for an hour.

Synonyms and how they differ

hang glider

Use this for a pilot flying under a stiff triangular frame; a paraglider sits under a soft fabric wing instead.

parachutist

A parachutist jumps from a plane and floats down, while a paraglider takes off from a hill and can stay up for hours.

Word family

paragliding noun

the sport of flying with such a wing

paraglide verb

to fly using a paraglider

Commonly confused: paragliders or parasailer?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “paragliders”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words