- a rope or wire stretched tightly high above the ground, on which acrobats perform feats of balancing（供杂技演员表演用的）绷紧的钢丝（或绳索）：
as modifier a tightrope walker走钢丝的演员
figurative 〈喻〉he continues to walk a tightrope between success and failure.
他依然处境艰难, 胜负难料。