stamina
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Usage
What does stamina mean? Stamina is endurance—the strength or energy to keep going, even when tired or facing other unfavorable conditions.The word is most commonly used in the context of sports to refer to the ability to continue performing despite fatigue. Athletes train to improve their stamina.Stamina is also the plural form of the word stamen, which is the part of a flower that produces pollen. Interestingly, both senses of the word are based on the same Latin root.Example: A lot of players are fast and strong, but it’s the ones who have worked to increase their stamina who are most effective at the end of a long game.
Other Word Forms
- staminal adjective
Etymology
Origin of stamina
1535–45; < Latin, plural of stāmen thread ( stamen ); i.e., the life-threads spun by the Fates
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Burton had previously apologized to Battle’s family in a public letter where he acknowledged that it took him a long time and stamina to admit his role in the robbery.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
The scrutinizing and psychoanalyzing continues like Luka Doncic screaming at the refs — incessantly, and with impressive stamina.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
Punch's mother, perhaps due to it being her first litter or reduced stamina from the summer heat, showed no interest in caring for her young, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
Rival players and coaches say the young North Korean women possess unmatched stamina, mental toughness and physical aggression.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Other statesmen fell by the wayside, lacking the stamina to handle the relentless political pressure.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
