exertion

noun

ig-ˈzər-shən How to pronounce exertion (audio)
Definition of exertionnext
1
as in activity
energetic movement of the body for the sake of physical fitness often the television addict's greatest attempt at exertion was switching channels on the remote control

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result the number of blueberries that we were finding was hardly worth the exertion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exertion Too many brands exhaust their marketing budgets fighting for attention during the primary event when real power lies in owning the transitional micro-moment immediately following exertion. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The trek involves steep, high-altitude terrain, and travelers should prepare for variable weather and physical exertion before setting off. — Ashley Lynch july 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 With that, his exertions in perfecting his homegrown colony process—the green smoothie for caterpillars, testing procedures for parasites—came into clearer view for me. — Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Taking a break should never be considered a reward only given in exchange for profound exertion or high achievement. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for exertion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exertion
  1. activity
  2. effort
  3. conditioning
  4. work
  5. exercise
Noun
  • The crude market remains dominated by state producers, major energy companies, commodity merchants and large industrial consumers whose activity dwarfs that of individual traders.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On the same morning, a short drive away, a therapist who asked to be identified as Bre was also patrolling, having woken up to an alert on her phone about ICE activity at her daughter’s former elementary school.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of activity
Noun
  • Its architecture could contribute to future efforts involving inexpensive rockets produced in much larger quantities.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • La Palma employs low-energy lighting and air conditioning and is committed to paper reduction using QR codes in the room instead.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of conditioning
Noun
  • Users reported problems with Outlook, while OpenAI said users may experience problems starting or continuing tasks in ChatGPT Work, temporarily disabling two of the modern office's favorite methods of assigning more work.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Aquarius January 20 – February 18 A vague request could create an impressive amount of unnecessary work today.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of work
Noun
  • Those payloads give crews a visible way to assess where training rockets land during live-fire exercises.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The potential benefits may also extend beyond a single workout for leaders who maintain a consistent exercise practice.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of exercise

Browse Nearby Words

exerting
exertion
exertions
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Exertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exertion. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All