stamina
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
Usage
What does stamina mean? Stamina is endurance—the strength or energy to keep going, even when tired or facing other unfavorable conditions. The word is most commonly used in the context of sports to refer to the ability to continue performing despite fatigue. Athletes train to improve their stamina. Stamina is also the plural form of the word stamen, which is the part of a flower that produces pollen. Interestingly, both senses of the word are based on the same Latin root. Example: A lot of players are fast and strong, but it’s the ones who have worked to increase their stamina who are most effective at the end of a long game.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stamina
1535–45; < Latin, plural of stāmen thread ( see stamen); i.e., the life-threads spun by the Fates
Explanation
If you can run for a really long time, or carry a heavy box a really long way, you have stamina. Stamina is staying power or enduring strength. Stamina is not always related to physical strength and endurance. Solving a difficult puzzle or a complex problem requires your brain to work long and hard, something called mental stamina. If you have had a really tough year, but are doing generally fine, someone might say you have emotional stamina. It can also mean "perseverance." Do you have the stamina to learn this word?
Vocabulary lists containing stamina
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1
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An Inspirational Back-to-School Word List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
These fibers consume large amounts of oxygen and are associated with improved stamina and athletic performance.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
With no index and tens of thousands of entries, the archive demands patience, stamina and a willingness to read page after page in search of patterns and relevant information.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Let’s have a mascot with character, stamina and initiative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
Come nightfall, capturing the lightning bugs during the few hours they appear each evening takes stamina and perseverance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
By June, his body was humming, capable of speed and stamina beyond anything he’d ever known.
From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
