endurance
en-DURE-unss
/ɪnˈdjʊərəns/
The fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.
In racket sports, endurance is often what separates the winner from the loser in the fifth set of a long match.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'indurare,' meaning 'to make hard.' To have endurance is to have 'hardened' yourself against fatigue and pain.
Word relationships
- stamina: Stamina is the energy to keep going; endurance is the ability to withstand the hardship of going.
- fragility: Fragility is the tendency to break or fail under pressure.
Commonly confused with
- persistence: Persistence is a mental quality of not giving up; endurance is the physical capacity to keep performing.
Word family
- endure (verb): To suffer patiently or remain in existence.
- enduring (adjective): Lasting over a long period.
Collocations
- physical endurance
- mental endurance
- stamina and endurance
Example sentences
- "Tennis is mostly about endurance; you have to be able to play for five hours if necessary." Training philosophy
- "The match became a test of endurance as the temperature on the court rose to 100 degrees." Match summary
Memory hook
'Endurance' helps you 'Endure' the 'Dance' of the match. Hardened to last.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'durability,' which refers to how long an object (like a racket) lasts.
Fun facts
- The longest professional tennis match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days.
Explore more words
endure, perseverance, fortitude, hardship, stoic, long-suffering
Also appears in
- Travel & Culture → Adventure Sports & Recreation
- Health Sciences → Sedentary Lifestyles & Exercise
- Sports, Athletics & Recreation → Track & Field Athletics
- Sports, Athletics & Recreation → Water & Aquatic Sports
- Sports, Athletics & Recreation → Winter & Ice Sports
- Sports, Athletics & Recreation → Motor & Racing Sports
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