endurance

noun

en·​dur·​ance in-ˈdu̇r-ən(t)s 

-ˈdyu̇r-, 

en-

1

: the ability to withstand hardship or adversity

especially : the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity

a marathon runner's endurance

2

: the act or an instance of enduring or suffering

endurance of many hardships

3

: permanence, duration

the endurance of the play's importance

Synonyms of endurance

• continuity
• continuation
• persistence
• continuance
• continuousness

Examples of endurance in a Sentence

The exercise program is designed to increase both strength and endurance.

the endurance of his love for his wife was not arrested even by her death

Recent Examples on the Web

Unitree later suggested that the robot may have entered the competition without proper tuning, sparking online debate about humanoid robot endurance and their ability to operate in demanding real-world environments. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026

Despite Hell Week's reputation as one of the military's most punishing endurance tests, more candidates drop out during the preceding weeks than during Hell Week. — James Laporta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026

The vehicle, which is available as a coupe and roadster, feels like a glimpse of the British automaker’s future, clad in a sculptural body that looks closer to that of an endurance racer than any of its DB cars. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2026

Ugreen says this capability adds the option for enterprise-class endurance and sustained write performance in the main storage bay, which would be beneficial for housing active project files, virtual machine storage, or databases. — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing endurance

• beyond endurance

Kids Definition

endurance

noun

en·​dur·​ance in-ˈd(y)u̇r-ən(t)s 

1

: the quality of lasting or of being permanent

2

: the ability to withstand hardship, adversity, or stress

athletes need to develop endurance

3

: suffering sense 1

endurance of many hardships