exercise

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Exercise (disambiguation)

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

exercize (obsolete)
exercice (obsolete, noun senses only)

Etymology

From Middle English exercise, from Old French exercise, from Latin exercitium.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɛk.sə.saɪz/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛk.sɚ.saɪz/
Hyphenation: ex‧er‧cise
Audio (US): (file)

Noun

exercise (countable and uncountable, plural exercises)

(countable) Any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability.
The teacher told us that the next exercise is to write an essay.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 25:
  Where noyse of armes, or vew of martiall guize / Might not reuiue desire of knightly exercize.
- 1693, [John Locke], “§178”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
  an exercise of the eyes and memory
(countable, uncountable) Activity intended to improve physical, or sometimes mental, strength and fitness.
Swimming is good exercise.

I like to do my exercises every morning before breakfast.

I do crosswords for mental exercise.
- 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
  This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.
- 2018, Timothy R. Jennings, The Aging Brain, →ISBN, page 107:
  Regular mental exercise keeps the circuits of the brain active and healthy and reduces the risk of dementia.
A setting in action or practicing; employment in the proper mode of activity; exertion; application; use.
The law guarantees us the free exercise of our rights.
- December 8, 1801, Thomas Jefferson, first annual message
  exercise of the important function confided by the constitution to the legislature
- 1847, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page number, or |part=Prologue, I to VII, or conclusion)”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
  O we will walk this world, / Yoked in all exercise of noble end.
The performance of an office, ceremony, or duty.
I assisted the ailing vicar in the exercise of his parish duties.
- 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
  Lewis […] refused even those of the church of England […] the public exercise of their religion.
- c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]:
  He doth entreat your Grace, my noble lord, To visit him tomorrow or next day. To draw him from his holy exercise.
(obsolete) That which gives practice; a trial; a test.
- 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 77:
  But patience is more oft the exerciſe / Of Saints, the trial of thir fortitude,

Derived terms

Translations

any activity designed to develop or hone a skill or ability

Albanian: ushtrim (sq) m
Arabic: تَمْرِين m (tamrīn), تَدْرِيب m (tadrīb)
Armenian: վարժություն (hy) (varžutʻyun)
Azerbaijani: məşq (az), təmrin, çalışma (az), təlim (az)
Basque: ariketa
Belarusian: практыкава́нне n (praktykavánnje)
Bengali: please add this translation if you can
Bulgarian: упражне́ние (bg) n (upražnénie)
Burmese: လေ့ကျင့်ခန်း (my) (le.kyang.hkan:)
Catalan: exercici (ca) m
Chinese:
Cantonese: 練習／练习 (lin⁶ zaap⁶)

Mandarin: 練習／练习 (zh) (liànxí)
Czech: cvičení (cs) n
Danish: øvelse (da) c
Dutch: oefening (nl) f
Esperanto: ekzerco
Estonian: harjutus
Finnish: harjoitus (fi), harjoittelu (fi)
French: exercice (fr) m
Galician: exercicio (gl) m
Georgian: ვარჯიში (varǯiši), სავარჯიშო (savarǯišo)
German: Übung (de) f
Greek: άσκηση (el) f (áskisi)
Ancient: ἄσκησις f (áskēsis), μελέτημα n (melétēma)
Hebrew: תַּרְגִּיל (he) m (targíl)
Hindi: व्यायाम (hi) m (vyāyām), अभ्यास (hi) m (abhyās), रियाज़ f (riyāz)
Hungarian: gyakorlat (hu), feladat (hu), (uncountable sense) gyakorlás (hu)
Icelandic: æfing (is) f
Indonesian: latihan (id)
Ingrian: upražnenja
Japanese: 練習 (ja) (れんしゅう, renshū)
Kazakh: жаттығу (jattyğu)
Khmer: ការិយកម្ម (km) (kaareyaʼkam), ការិយកិច្ច (kaareyaʼkəc)
Korean: 연습(練習) (ko) (yeonseup), 련습(練習) (ko) (ryeonseup) (North Korea)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: temrîn (ku)
Kyrgyz: көнүгүү (ky) (könügüü), машыгуу (ky) (maşıguu)
Lao: ບົດເຝິກຫັດ (bot fœk hat)
Latin: exercitātiō f, exercitium n
Latvian: uzdevums m, vingrinājums m
Ligurian: esercìçio m
Lithuanian: uždavinys m, pratimas m
Macedonian: вежба f (vežba)
Malay: latihan (ms), latih tubi
Malayalam: അഭ്യാസം (ml) (abhyāsaṁ)
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: дасгал (mn) (dasgal)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: øvelse m, øving m or f

Nynorsk: øving f
Pashto: مشق m (mašq), تمرين (ps) m (tamrín)
Persian:
Iranian Persian: تَمْرین (fa) (tamrin), مَشْق (fa) (mašğ), اِگْزِرْسیز (egzersiz) (dated)
Polish: ćwiczenie (pl) n
Portuguese: exercício (pt) m
Romanian: exercițiu (ro) n
Russian: упражне́ние (ru) n (upražnénije) (a specific exercise), трениро́вка (ru) f (treniróvka), пра́ктика (ru) f (práktika)
Scottish Gaelic: eacarsaich f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ве̏жба f, вје̏жба f, пра̏кса f

Roman: vȅžba (sh) f, vjȅžba (sh) f, prȁksa (sh) f
Slovak: cvičenie n
Slovene: vaja f, vadba f
Spanish: ejercicio (es) m
Swahili: mazoezi (sw)
Swedish: övning (sv) c, uppgift (sv) c
Tagalog: pagsasanay (tl)
Tajik: машқ (mašq)
Thai: แบบฝึกหัด (th) (bɛ̀ɛp-fʉ̀k-hàt)
Turkish: egzersiz (tr), temrin (tr)
Turkmen: maşk
Ukrainian: впра́ва (uk) f (vpráva)
Urdu: مَشْق f (maśq), مَشّاقی f (maśśāqī), تَمْرِین f (tamrīn)
Uyghur: مەشق (meshq)
Uzbek: mashq (uz)
Vietnamese: luyện tập (vi) (練習)
Walloon: egzercice (wa) m

physical activity intended to improve strength and fitness

Arabic: تَمْرِين m (tamrīn)
Armenian: վարժություն (hy) (varžutʻyun)
Basque: ariketa
Belarusian: зара́дка f (zarádka), трэніро́ўка f (treniróŭka)
Bengali: ব্যায়াম (bn) (bêẏam)
Bulgarian: трениро́вка (bg) f (treniróvka)
Burmese: လေ့ကျင့်ခန်း (my) (le.kyang.hkan:)
Catalan: exercici (ca) m
Chinese:
Cantonese: 運動／运动 (wan⁶ dung⁶)

Mandarin: 運動／运动 (zh) (yùndòng)
Czech: cvičení (cs) n
Dutch: lichaamsbeweging (nl) f
Esperanto: ekzerco
Estonian: harjutus
Finnish: kuntoilu (fi), liikunta (fi), treeni (fi), harjoitus (fi), harjoittelu (fi), jumppa (fi), voimailu (fi)
French: exercice (fr) m
Georgian: ვარჯიში (varǯiši)
German: Übung (de) f (a specific exercise), Training (de) n, Sport (de) m (general exercising)
Gothic: 𐌿𐍃𐌸𐍂𐍉𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 f (usþrōþeins)
Greek: γυμναστική (el) f (gymnastikí)
Ancient: γυμνάσια n pl (gumnásia), σωμασκία f (sōmaskía)
Hebrew: תַּרְגִּיל (he) m (targíl)
Hindi: वर्ज़िश f (varziś), कसरत (hi) f (kasrat), व्यायाम (hi) m (vyāyām)
Hungarian: edzés (hu), torna (hu), mozgás (hu), testmozgás (hu), testgyakorlás (hu)
Indonesian: latihan (id), olahraga (id)
Italian: esercizio (it) m
Japanese: 運動 (ja) (うんどう, undō), 体操 (ja) (たいそう, taisō), 体育 (ja) (たいいく, taiiku), エクササイズ (ekusasaizu)
Kazakh: жаттығу (jattyğu)
Korean: 운동(運動) (ko) (undong)
Latin: exercitātiō f, exercitium n
Latvian: vingrojums m, vingrinājums m
Ligurian: esercìçio m
Lithuanian: pratimas m, mankšta f
Macedonian: ве́жба f (véžba)
Malay: senaman (ms)
Malayalam: വ്യായാമം (ml) (vyāyāmaṁ)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: mosjon m, øvelse m, øving m or f

Nynorsk: mosjon m, øving f
Persian:
Iranian Persian: وَرْزِش (fa) (varzeš)
Polish: ćwiczenie (pl) n
Portuguese: exercício (pt)
Punjabi: ਵਰਜ਼ਸ਼ f (varzaś)
Romanian: exercițiu (ro) n
Russian: упражне́ние (ru) n (upražnénije) (a specific exercise), заря́дка (ru) f (zarjádka), физзаря́дка (ru) f (fizzarjádka), трениро́вка (ru) f (treniróvka)
Scottish Gaelic: eacarsaich f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ве̏жба f, вје̏жба f

Roman: vȅžba (sh) f, vjȅžba (sh) f
Sinhalese: ව්‍යායාමය (wyāyāmaya)
Slovak: cvičenie n
Slovene: gibanje (sl) n, vadba f
Spanish: ejercicio (es)
Swahili: mazoezi (sw)
Swedish: träning (sv) c
Tajik: машқ (mašq), варзиш (tg) (varziš)
Thai: การออกกำลังกาย (th) (gaan-ɔ̀ɔk-gam-lang-gaai)
Turkish: egzersiz (tr)
Ukrainian: впра́ва (uk) f (vpráva), заря́дка f (zarjádka), тренува́ння n (trenuvánnja)
Urdu: وَرْزِش (ur) f (varziś), کسرت (kasrat), رِیاضَت (riyāzat)
Vietnamese: vận động (vi) (運動), thể dục (vi) (體育)
Volapük: koapaskilükam
Welsh: ymarfer (cy) m or f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} latihan (id)

Verb

exercise (third-person singular simple present exercises, present participle exercising, simple past and past participle exercised)

To exert for the sake of training or improvement; to practice in order to develop.
to exercise troops or horses; to exercise one's brain with a puzzle
(intransitive) To perform physical activity for health or training.
I exercise at the gym every day.
(transitive) To use (a right, an option, etc.); to put into practice.
The tenant exercised his option to renew the tenancy.

She is going to exercise her right to vote.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 22:29:
  The people of the land haue vsed oppression, and exercised robbery, and haue vexed the poore and needie: yea, they haue oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
(now often in passive) 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.
exercised with pain
- 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 88–89:
  Where pain of unextinguiſhable fire / Muſt exerciſe us without hope of end
(obsolete) To set in action; to cause to act, move, or make exertion; to give employment to.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 24:16:
  And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
- 1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373, column 2:
  Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

Derived terms

Translations

exert for the sake of training

Arabic: تَمَرَّنَ (tamarrana)
Egyptian Arabic: اتمرن m (etmarran)
Armenian: մարզել (hy) (marzel)
Belarusian: практыкава́цца impf (praktykavácca), трэнірава́цца impf (treniravácca)
Bulgarian: упражня́вам се (upražnjávam se) , трени́рам (bg) (treníram)
Burmese: လေ့ကျင့် (my) (le.kyang.)
Catalan: exercitar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 練習／练习 (zh) (liànxí), 運動／运动 (zh) (yùndòng), 做運動／做运动 (zuò yùndòng), 進行演習／进行演习 (jìnxíng yǎnxí), 鍛鍊／锻炼 (zh) (duànliàn)
Czech: cvičit (cs)
Dutch: trainen (nl), oefenen (nl)
Esperanto: ekzerci
Estonian: õppus
Finnish: harjoitella (fi), harjoittaa (fi), kuntoilla (fi), treenata (fi), jumpata (fi), päntätä (fi), opetella (fi)
French: exercer (fr)
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: üben (de), trainieren (de)
Greek:
Ancient: ἀσκέω (askéō)
Haitian Creole: egzèse
Hungarian: gyakorol (hu)
Irish: aclaigh
Italian: esercitare (it)
Japanese: 練習する (ja) (れんしゅうする, renshū-suru)
Khmer: ហាត់ (km) (hat)
Korean: 연습하다 (ko) (yeonseuphada)
Lao: ຝຶກ (fưk), ຫັດ (hat)
Latin: exercitō
Latvian: vingrot, vingrināt
Macedonian: вежба (vežba)
Mongolian: дасгал хийх (dasgal xiix)
Norwegian: trene (no)
Polish: ćwiczyć (pl)
Portuguese: exercitar-se
Quechua: amañay (qu)
Russian: упражня́ться (ru) (upražnjátʹsja), тренирова́ться (ru) (trenirovátʹsja), практикова́ться (ru) (praktikovátʹsja)
Slovak: cvičiť impf
Spanish: ejercitar (es)
Swedish: öva (sv), träna (sv), praktisera (sv)
Thai: ฝึก (th) (fʉ̀k), หัด (hàt), ฝึกหัด (th) (fʉ̀k-hàt)
Ukrainian: вправля́тися impf (vpravljátysja), практикува́тися impf (praktykuvátysja), тренува́тися impf (trenuvátysja)
Vietnamese: luyện tập (vi) (練習), tập (vi)) (習)

perform physical activity

Armenian: մարզել (hy) (marzel), պարապել (hy) (parapel)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 鍛鍊／锻炼 (zh) (duànliàn), 鍛鍊身體／锻炼身体 (duànliàn shēntǐ), 健身 (zh) (jiànshēn)
Danish: motionere
Dutch: sporten (nl), bewegen (nl)
Finnish: kuntoilla (fi), harjoitella (fi), treenata (fi), jumpata (fi), voimistella (fi), voimailla
German: sich bewegen
Hungarian: tornázik (hu), mozog (hu), edz (hu), testmozgást/testgyakorlást végez
Icelandic: hreyfa sig
Irish: aclaigh, déan aclaíocht
Italian: esercitarsi (it), allenarsi (it)
Polish: ćwiczyć (pl)
Spanish: hacer ejercicio
Swedish: motionera (sv)

use; put into practice

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Dutch: uitoefenen (nl), gebruikmaken (nl)
Finnish: käyttää (fi), ottaa käyttöön, hyödyntää (fi)
Hungarian: gyakorol (hu), él (hu)
Irish: cuir i bhfeidhm
Italian: esercitare (it), avvalersi (it), mettere in pratica
Polish: wykorzystać (pl), skorzystać (pl), wykonać (pl)
Portuguese: exercer (pt)
Swedish: utöva (sv)
Ukrainian: практикува́ти impf (praktykuváty)

occupy the attention and effort of

Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Dutch: kwellen (nl), lastigvallen (nl)
Finnish: vaivata (fi), rasittaa (fi)
Hungarian: próbára tesz (hu), igénybe vesz (hu)
Swedish: ansätta (sv), sätta på prov

take action, enforce

Bulgarian: упражня́вам (bg) (upražnjávam)
Catalan: exercir (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: please add this translation if you can
Esperanto: ekzerci
Finnish: käyttää (fi)
French: exercer (fr)
Haitian Creole: egzèse
Hungarian: gyakorol (hu), érvényesít (hu), érvényre juttat (hu)
Italian: impiegare (it)
Latvian: izmantot, realizēt
Polish: użyć władzy
Portuguese: agir (pt), proceder (pt)
Russian: испо́льзовать (ru) (ispólʹzovatʹ), реализо́вывать (ru) (realizóvyvatʹ)
Spanish: ejercer (es)
Swedish: utnyttja (sv)
Ukrainian: зді́йснювати (uk) (zdíjsnjuvaty)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: ^{(please verify)} exercer (fr)
Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} edz (hu)
Portuguese: ^{(please verify)} incitar (pt)

exercise

Contents

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

Derived terms

Translations

See also

See also

Further reading