workout

American  

[wurk-out] / ˈwɜrkˌaʊt /

noun

1. a trial or practice session in athletics, as in running, boxing, or football.

2. a structured regime of physical exercise.

   She goes to the gym for a workout twice a week.

3. any trial or practice session.

4. an act or instance of working something out.

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Etymology

Origin of workout

First recorded in 1890–95; noun use of verb phrase work out

Explanation

A workout is an exercise session. If you hope to join your school's track team, you'd better be prepared for regular workouts. If you do yoga, lift weights, or run with your dog, you can call each of these activities a workout. When it's a verb, workout becomes two separate words: work out. So you can either say "I work out three days a week" or "I usually do three workouts a week." When this noun first appeared around the turn of the 20th century, it referred specifically to a practice boxing match.

Example Sentences

It was a celebration, a time machine and a delirious three-hour workout of air-drumming.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

It’s very fitness-oriented—the AI-generated daily summary makes activity recommendations based on your metrics and offers a big workout “COMMIT” button as motivation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

In January, the company also faced backlash over see-through issues in its Get Low line of workout gear.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

But two weeks before the state championships, he was struck by an E-bike during a 10-mile workout running along the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Sometimes, I would feel so panicked just watching television that I would throw myself on the floor of my bedroom for a core workout, pushing myself until my muscles cramped in pain.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• conditioning
• drill
• rehearsal
• routine
• session
• test
• training
• tryout