exertion

noun ex·er·tion \ ig-ˈzər-shən \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: exertion in a Sentence

Definition of exertion

: the act or an instance of exerting; especially : a laborious or perceptible effort

See exertion defined for English-language learners

See exertion defined for kids

Examples of exertion in a Sentence

He was panting from the exertion of climbing the stairs.
an easy sport that requires little physical exertion

Recent Examples of exertion from the Web

There was nothing virtual about it: not the floral bedspread, not the faint scent of their feminine exertions, not the point at which the blonde lay on her back during a break in the action and hugged her legs into herself.

— susannah breslin, The Atlantic, "Porn’s Uncanny Valley," 1 June 2018
There isn’t much in the way of serious philosophy underpinning Silicon Valley’s exertions.

— susan crawford, WIRED, "Mark Zuckerberg Plays the Scapegoat for Our Facebook Sins," 17 Apr. 2018
While curling is far from cross-country skiing in terms of exertion, curlers spend hours on their feet and vigorously sweep the ice at regular intervals.

— tariq panja, New York Times, "Russian Athlete Leaves for Seoul After Failed Doping Test," 18 Feb. 2018
Early shows were characterized by acts of physical exertion, but over a decade, that energy has translated into a sophistication that fills every record.

— efrain dorado, RedEye Chicago, "5 must-see concerts in Chicago this week: Arcade Fire, Ariel Pink, Hamilton Leithauser," 24 Oct. 2017
Many long-distance runners train in intervals, also known as periodization, building strength by alternating hard and easy weeks of exertion and recovery.

— david g. allan, CNN, "The infamous murderer's prison escape that inspired a near-impossible ultramarathon," 26 May 2018
The body-hugging fit assumes high-output exertion (there’s no room for bulky midlayers), but the slits at the bottom of the side seams provide enough freedom of movement for full running strides or pedal strokes.

— kelly bastone, Outside Online, "The Best Rain Jackets for Women," 12 Apr. 2018
After all, the article concluded, the muscular exertion required is quite different from that needed to operate a sewing machine.

— the editors, Scientific American, "The New Science of Sex and Gender," 1 Sep. 2017
Looking back, the couple says, creating the perfect home required even more exertion than producing any of their award-winning shows—which says a lot.

— bob morris, ELLE Decor, "HOUSE TOUR: A Glamorous West Village Loft That's Made For Entertaining," 22 Nov. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'exertion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.