champion
Defender of causes
A champion is the winner of a competition or the holder of first place: the defending champion, world heavyweight champion.
The word extends to anyone who fights for or defends a cause: a champion of civil rights, a champion of the poor.
As a verb, to champion something is to support or advocate for it vigorously.
As an adjective, champion means excellent or first-rate, though this use sounds old-fashioned outside British dialect: That's champion.
Award for winning
- medalistCompetition award recipient
- goldElement seventy-nine
- podiumRaised platform for speakers
- titleholderOne who holds a championship
conqueror · victory · triumph · laureate · record-holder · prizewinner · hall-of-famer · all-star
Authorized representative communicator
- proponentOne who advocates something
- campaignerOne who advocates publicly
- supporterOne who backs another
- crusaderZealous advocate for change
activist · lobbyist · voice · ambassador · promoter · backer · endorser · cause
One who safeguards others
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
- paladinHeroic knightly defender
- knightHonored mounted soldier
- sentinelGuard who monitors
safeguard · shield · bulwark · custodian · preserver · watchman · rescuer · savior
trophy
Award for winning
titleholder · conqueror · victory · triumph · laureate · record-holder · prizewinner · hall-of-famer · all-star · number-one
spokesperson
Authorized representative communicator
- proponentOne who advocates something
- campaignerOne who advocates publicly
- supporterOne who backs another
crusader · activist · lobbyist · voice · ambassador · promoter · backer · endorser · cause · rights
protector
One who safeguards others
sentinel · safeguard · shield · bulwark · custodian · preserver · watchman · rescuer · savior · bodyguard
coach
One who instructs
- trainerOne who conditions others
- guideLeader or instruction book
- instructorOne who teaches skills
advisor · leader · counselor · inspire · motivate · nurture · encourage · support · uplift · empower
elite
Superior select group
- paragonFlawless model to emulate
- virtuosoSupremely accomplished performer
- prodigyGifted youth with rare talent
maestro · pinnacle · exemplary · masterful · distinguished · preeminent · foremost · premier · peerless · superlative
- athletesathlete, Olympian, swimmers, runner, swimmer
- heroeshero, heroes, heroine, heroines, superhero
- advocatesadvocate, activist, campaigner, crusader, defender
- combat sportsboxing, wrestling, MMA, judo, karate
- competitor statusactive, inactive, retired, current, former
- Congratulationscongrats, congratulations, well done, good job, great job
championloser
Defeated competitor
also-ran · runner-up · defeated · cellar dweller · worst
- national championshipCountry-level competitive title
- world championTop-ranked competitor internationally
- heavyweight championTop boxer, largest class
- championship ringsJewelry awarded to champions
- world championshipTop-tier international tournament victory
- national championCountrywide competition victor
championship, champions, championed, champing, championing, championships, cochampion