exertion

ex·er·tion | \ ig-ˈzər-shən

How to pronounce exertion (audio)

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Definition of exertion

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

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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 on the Web Physical exertion, however, seemed the last thing on the mind of the new San Francisco koala. — Steve Rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "SF Zoo’s new koala needs a name. Contest will raise money for his relatives Down Under," 17 Jan. 2020 Traditionally, that means non-stop campaigning, seven or eight stops a day, as her voice grows hoarse from all the exertion of trying to close the deal. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "The Perils of Going Negative," 15 Jan. 2020 From across the galaxy, Leia reaches out to Kylo, dying from the exertion. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Spoilers! How 'The Rise of Skywalker' is a final 'Star Wars' tribute to Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia," 20 Dec. 2019 The combination of cold (which can cause blood vessels to constrict, decreasing your blood supply) and the strenuous exertion of shoveling (which can quickly increase your heart rate and blood pressure) raises the risk for a heart attack. — Linda Searing, chicagotribune.com, "The Big Number: Snow shoveling results in about 11,500 injuries - including 100 fatalities," 9 Dec. 2019 Oregon State Medical Examiner Sean Hurst ruled that Pitts died from cardiac dysrhythmia due to hypertensive heart disease, and his condition was made worse by the physical exertion from the fight with police. — oregonlive, "Cause of death identified for man who died after September fight with Salem police," 28 Nov. 2019 The Church itself, thanks in large part to the exertions of men like Anselm, was able to lay claim to the ancient primacy of Rome—and uphold it, what was more. — Tom Holland, Time, "The Crucifixion Took on New Religious Meaning in the Centuries After the Death of Jesus. Here's What Changed," 29 Oct. 2019 But each time Windler tried to increase his exertion and activity, the rookie experienced soreness. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, "Dylan Windler to miss remainder of season, will have surgery on troublesome left leg," 13 Jan. 2020 But interviews with the two Ukrainian oligarchs — Dmitry Firtash and Ihor Kolomoisky — as well as with several other people with knowledge of Mr. Giuliani’s dealings, point to a new dimension in his exertions on behalf of his client, Mr. Trump. — New York Times, "Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Look for Dirt," 25 Nov. 2019

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.

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Last Updated

20 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Exertion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exertion. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for exertion

exertion

noun

English Language Learners Definition of exertion

: physical or mental effort

See the full definition for exertion in the English Language Learners Dictionary

exertion

ex·er·tion | \ ig-ˈzər-shən

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Kids Definition of exertion

1 : the act of putting into use They won by the exertion of great effort.

2 : use of strength or ability The game requires physical exertion.

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