high-wire
Funambulist's elevated path
High-wire refers to a tightrope stretched high above the ground, used by acrobats and circus performers: a high-wire act.
The term extends to any precarious situation requiring careful balance: high-wire diplomacy, a high-wire financial strategy.
The implication is always of risk—one misstep brings disaster.
Circus performer aloft
- funambulistOne who walks ropes
- trapezeSuspended acrobatic bar
- big topMain circus tent
- ringmasterCircus performance director
acrobat · performer · net · sequins · leotard · spectacle · showmanship · audience
State of balance
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- steadinessState of being constant
- counterbalanceOffsetting force or weight
- tensionStretched or strained state
control · stability · alignment · centering · footwork · core strength · precision · adjustment
Possibility of harm
- perilSerious threat of harm
- fallDescend under gravity
- safety netProtection against failure
- fatalCausing death or ruin
precarious · death-defying · hazard · vertigo · catastrophe · accident · life-threatening · plunge
Developing abilities through practice
- practiceRepeated work toward mastery
- dexteritySkillful hand coordination
- agilityQuickness and ease
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
technique · focus · discipline · mastery · precision · footwork · muscle memory · concentration
Emergency response hormone
- excitementState of eager enthusiasm
- gaspsSharp sudden breaths
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
- daringAdventurous courage
breathtaking · suspense · tension · edge-of-seat · spectators · bravery · fearlessness · amazement
Accepting possible harm
- precariousDangerously insecure
- balancing actManaging multiple competing priorities
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
- razor's edgePrecarious dividing line
no safety net · delicate balance · negotiation · diplomacy · political · financial · career · juggling act
aerialist
Circus performer aloft
- funambulistOne who walks ropes
- trapezeSuspended acrobatic bar
- big topMain circus tent
ringmaster · acrobat · performer · net · sequins · leotard · spectacle · showmanship · audience · applause
equilibrium
State of balance
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- steadinessState of being constant
- counterbalanceOffsetting force or weight
tension · control · stability · alignment · centering · footwork · core strength · precision · adjustment · sway
risk
Possibility of harm
- perilSerious threat of harm
- fallDescend under gravity
- safety netProtection against failure
fatal · precarious · death-defying · hazard · vertigo · catastrophe · accident · life-threatening · plunge · injury
training
Developing abilities through practice
coordination · technique · focus · discipline · mastery · precision · footwork · muscle memory · concentration · body control
adrenaline
Emergency response hormone
- excitementState of eager enthusiasm
- gaspsSharp sudden breaths
- heart-poundingCausing intense physical excitement
daring · breathtaking · suspense · tension · edge-of-seat · spectators · bravery · fearlessness · amazement · death-defying
risk-taking
Accepting possible harm
- precariousDangerously insecure
- balancing actManaging multiple competing priorities
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
no safety net · razor's edge · delicate balance · negotiation · diplomacy · political · financial · career · juggling act · thin line
high, height, wire, wiring, tightrope, tightrope walker, tightropes, tightrope walking