gym
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of gym
First recorded in 1870–75; by shortening
Explanation
A gym is a building or room that's meant for playing indoor sports or exercising. You might go to the gym to pump iron, or you might go to the gym to see who else is pumping iron. The word gym is a shortened form of gymnasium, originally a Latin word meaning "school for gymnastics," from the Greek gymnasion, "public place where exercises are practiced." The preferred way to dress at a gym these days is in shorts or sweatpants, but back in Ancient Greece, men commonly exercised naked — hence the root gymnazein, "to train naked."
Vocabulary lists containing gym
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.
The layout includes a library gallery, TV room, gym, laundry, garden room, storage room, and three-car garage.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
The property, which was originally built in 1998, comes complete with a gym, walk-in closet, walk-in pantry, wine cellar, an office, and a guesthouse.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
The entertainment space also includes a gym, wet bar and batting cage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
To use the old gym, they used to take turns in groups.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
“She’s great. I didn’t bring her because I didn’t know if the gym would allow dogs.”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
