endurance

[ en-door-uhns, -dyoor- ]

noun

1. the fact or power of enduring or bearing pain, hardships, etc.
2. the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina:

   He has amazing physical endurance.

3. lasting quality; duration:

   His friendships have little endurance.

4. something endured, as a hardship; trial.

endurance

/ ɪnˈdjʊərəns /

noun

1. the capacity, state, or an instance of enduring
2. something endured; a hardship, strain, or privation

Word History and Origins

Origin of endurance¹

First recorded in 1485–95; endure + -ance

Synonym Study

See patience.

Example Sentences

Crew use two treadmills that they must strap into to stop themselves floating away, and a cycle ergometer for endurance training.

From BBC

The 32-mile Catalina Classic is one of the most grueling endurance contests on the planet — an ultra-marathon of the sea — and an annual rite of passage in Southern California surf culture.

From Los Angeles Times

As he stared solemnly straight ahead at the Cenotaph, was this his own commitment to public service, duty and endurance?

From BBC

The game was supposed to be a test of their endurance, a test to see how the Clippers could handle playing a fourth game in seven days while facing the top team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

From Los Angeles Times

He is well versed in endurance challenges, having scaled Pen Y Fan 10 times in 24 hours, and ran a 50-mile ultra-marathon while carrying a rucksack full of weights, but said his run tracing the male genitals is the longest distance he has covered.

From BBC

Related Words

• ability
• capacity
• courage
• fortitude
• grit
• mettle
• patience
• perseverance
• persistence
• stamina
• strength
• tenacity
• tolerance
• vitality