exercise

noun

(countable, uncountable) Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness.

(countable) Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.

A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.

The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.

(obsolete) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.

verb

(intransitive) To perform physical activity for health or training.

To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop.

(transitive) To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice.

(now often passive voice) To occupy the attention and effort of; to task; to tax, especially in a painful or vexatious manner; harass; to vex; to worry or make anxious.

(obsolete) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to.

Roots

arcereerc- · Latin · to enclose, restrain

Synonyms for exercise

workoutn calisthenicsn practicen aerobicsn isometricsn exertv drilln yogan trainingn exertionn

Synonyms & related words for exercise

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of exercise — including workout, calisthenics, practice, aerobics, isometrics, exert. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to exercise

Explore words related to exercise — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include overexercise, exercitation, exerciser, unexercised, exercisable, fitness, jogging, cardio. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for exercise

Common synonyms for exercise include workout, calisthenics, practice, aerobics, isometrics, exert, drill, yoga — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does exercise come from?

The word exercise breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root erc-, from Latin arcere (“to enclose, restrain”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.