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

Inside the hotel, there’s a larger sauna, cold plunge, and a small but impressively equipped gym (complete with a Peloton, treadmill, and free weights). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

The hedonic treadmill, first described by Philip Brickman and Donald Campbell, is our tendency to return to a baseline level of happiness shortly after any positive event. — Parul Somani, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

The adjacent gym is fully equipped with free weights, Peloton bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, and stair climbers. — Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026

There the professor is a teenager running miles in the basement of her father’s suburban tract, an unfinished room furnished with a treadmill, a weight bench, and a three-sided sunset mural. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 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