marathon

[ mar-uh-thon, -thuhn ]

/ ˈmær əˌθɒn, -θən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for marathon on Thesaurus.com

noun

a foot race over a course measuring 26 miles 385 yards (42 kilometers 195 meters).

any long-distance race.

any contest, event, or the like, of great, or greater than normal, length or duration or requiring exceptional endurance: a dance marathon; a sales marathon.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THE 12 TYPES OF VERB TENSES!

Loosen up your grammar muscles because it’s time to test your knowledge on verb tenses!

Question 1 of 6

The verb tenses can be split into which 3 primary categories?

action, linking, and helping

dynamic, static, and auxiliary

past, present, and future

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar Coach

Improve Your Writing

Origin of marathon

First recorded in 1895–1900; allusion to Pheidippides' 26-mile (42-kilometer) run from Marathon to Athens to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 b.c.

Words nearby marathon

marasmus, Marat, Maratha, Maratha Confederacy, Marathi, marathon, Marathon, Battle of, marathoner, marathon group, Marathonian, Marat, Jean-Paul

Definition for marathon (2 of 2)

Marathon

[ mar-uh-thon ]

/ ˈmær əˌθɒn /

noun

a plain in SE Greece, in Attica: the Athenians defeated the Persians here 490 b.c.

an ancient village that is near this plain.

Classical Mythology. a son of Epopeus and the father of Corinthus.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use marathon in a sentence

Gamers may want an adjustable desk to stay comfortable while playing and keep them from sitting too long during marathon sessions.
Best adjustable desks: Stand or sit with double-duty office furniture|PopSci Commerce Team|February 26, 2021|Popular Science
He has trained me for a marathon in a way that has really developed my speed.
Why Running’s Fastest Amateur Just Went Pro|Martin Fritz Huber|February 14, 2021|Outside Online
Last March, after several of the big spring marathons were initially postponed until fall, I was surprised at how confident people seemed to be that these races would actually happen.
Will Major Marathons Actually Come Back This Fall?|Martin Fritz Huber|February 4, 2021|Outside Online
You see thru-hikers jump into a marathon a week after they’re done, and it goes miserably.
Did Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail Ruin My Body?|Grayson Haver Currin|January 25, 2021|Outside Online

For media companies, the Consumer Electronics Show has long been more about marathon sales meetings than consumer electronics.
‘Never smart to let things fall off people’s calendars’: How publishers are selling during a virtual CES|Max Willens|January 11, 2021|Digiday
Portlandia marathon—9 am-2:30 pm, IFCBecause what better time than Turkey Day to put on a bird on it?
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Weekend TV Guide: Must-See Marathons, Specials, and Parades|Kevin Fallon|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rambo movie marathon—11 am-12 am, AMCBecause nothing says the holidays like Sly Stallone and blood.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Weekend TV Guide: Must-See Marathons, Specials, and Parades|Kevin Fallon|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thanksgiving with Friends marathon—10 am—TBSA marathon of every Thanksgiving episode of Friends.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Weekend TV Guide: Must-See Marathons, Specials, and Parades|Kevin Fallon|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indiana Jones movie marathon—12:30 pm, SpikeAn Indiana Jones movie marathon is never not a good idea.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Weekend TV Guide: Must-See Marathons, Specials, and Parades|Kevin Fallon|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would be like making a decision about whether or not to keep exercising at mile 24 of a marathon.
Jon Stewart Talks ‘Rosewater’ and the ‘Chickensh-t’ Democrats’ Midterm Massacre|Marlow Stern|November 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Greek fire is not extinguished; it burns to-day as bright and pure as ever at Salamis or Marathon.
The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.
The Plain of Marathon was so named from the abundance of Fennel (μαραθρον) growing on it.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe
No sculptured marble of a Greek runner was ever more beautiful than Sara as he ran the Marathon.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow
After all he's been more than punished, even for the Marathon matter or for that crazy romance about the ducal inheritance.
Still Jim|Honor Willsie Morrow
So he speedily made his preparations, and drew up his small force on the plain of Marathon, between the mountains and the sea.
The Story of the Greeks|H. A. Guerber

British Dictionary definitions for marathon (1 of 2)

marathon

/ (ˈmærəθən) /

noun

a race on foot of 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 kilometres): an event in the modern Olympics

any long or arduous task, assignment, etc
(as modifier)a marathon effort

Word Origin for marathon

referring to the feat of the messenger who ran more than 20 miles from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of victory in 490 bc

British Dictionary definitions for marathon (2 of 2)

Marathon

/ (ˈmærəθən) /

noun

a plain in Attica northeast of Athens: site of a victory of the Athenians and Plataeans over the Persians (490 bc)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012