What does somersaulted mean?
Somersaulted is the simple past tense and past participle of somersault. It describes an acrobatic movement in which a person or animal turns the body end over end, usually completing the rotation in the air before returning to an upright or landing position. The word is standard in both British and American English and appears in reports of gymnastics, diving, play, and animal behavior. “Somersaulted” can also convey energetic movement or exuberance, especially when describing a performer or child. It is more exact than “flipped,” because it identifies a complete rotation rather than any quick turn, and more exact than “tumbled,” because it implies turning over rather than merely falling. The form is most useful in past-tense narration, as in “the gymnast somersaulted over the beam.” Its unusual sound also preserves an older French meaning: the word’s ancestor literally referred to an “over-leap.”
verbPerformed a somersault; turned or flipped the body end over end, usually in the air.
- Turned or flipped the body end over end, usually completing a full rotation in the air.
"The gymnast somersaulted over the beam and landed cleanly."
"The diver somersaulted into the pool."
"The kitten somersaulted down the rug and chased after the feather."
Its French ancestor literally meant “over-leap”—a compact description of the body clearing its own head.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does somersaulted come from?
Somersault entered English from French, where its ancestor supersaut was composed of elements meaning “over” and “leap.” The French leap element ultimately derives from Latin saltus and saltare, also the source of English words such as saltation and saltatory. English adopted somersault for a bodily flip or inversion, and the regular past-tense ending produced the form defined here.
Related word forms
How somersaulted is actually used
Standard in both British and American English. The word is descriptive rather than informal or slang and usually denotes a complete bodily rotation; “flipped” is broader, while “tumbled” can also mean merely to fall.
Easily confused with somersaulted
“Somersault” is the base verb and noun, while “somersaulted” is its past-tense and past-participle form.