treadmill

noun

tread·​mill ˈtred-ˌmil 

1

a

: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise or physiological testing

b

: a mill worked by an animal treading an endless belt

c

: a mill worked by persons treading on steps on the periphery of a wide wheel having a horizontal axis and used formerly in prison punishment

2

: a wearisome or monotonous routine resembling continued activity on a treadmill

the office treadmill

Synonyms of treadmill

• routine
• grind

Examples of treadmill in a Sentence

the treadmill of exhausting family schedules

the treadmill of the morning commute to work

Recent Examples on the Web

For three months, the participants did treadmill workouts twice a week, gradually building up their fitness. —Miriam Fauzia, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026

Always on the go Sarah is barely flushed, light pink on her chest and cheeks, on a treadmill at Tennessee Sports Medicine. —Gerald Witt, AJC.com, 1 Mar. 2026

Or letting Xavier McKinney walk to Green Bay, only to put the team on a treadmill of major investments at safety that still have not provided meaningful returns. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026

Like millions of Swifties, Serrano read in the 2023 Time Magazine Person of the Year interview how Swift trained on a treadmill. —Bryan West, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Rhymes for treadmill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill

Kids Definition

treadmill

noun

tread·​mill ˈtred-ˌmil 

1

a

: a device moved by persons treading on steps set around the rim of a wide wheel or by animals walking on an endless belt

b

: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place for exercise or medical testing

2

: a tiring or monotonous routine

Medical Definition

treadmill

noun

tread·​mill ˈtred-ˌmil 

: a device having an endless belt on which an individual walks or runs in place that is used for exercise and in tests of physiological functions see stress test