exercise
[noun]
Synonyms:
- exertion, activity, effort, labour, toil, training, work, work-out
- task, drill, lesson, practice, problem
- use, application, discharge, fulfilment, implementation, practice, utilization
[verb]
Synonyms:
- put to use, apply, bring to bear, employ, exert, use, utilize
- train, practise, work out

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Contrasted words: dereliction, disregard, neglect, carelessness, heedlessness, inattention, laxity, inactiveness, inactivity, idleness, unemployment
Related Idioms: put into practice
Related Words: action, movement, practice, use, workout, break in, condition, groom, prepare, train, cultivate, develop, foster, improve, fix, set

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English Thesaurus: exercise, do some exercise/a lot of exercise etc, stay/keep/get in shape, keep fit, work out, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. ex‧er‧cise¹ S2 W2 /ˈeksəsaɪz $ -ər-/ noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: exercice, from Latin exercitium, from exercere 'to drive on, keep busy']

1. FOR HEALTH [uncountable] physical activities that you do in order to stay healthy and become stronger:
Try to fit some regular exercise into your daily routine.
Working in an office, I don’t get much exercise.
do/take exercise
Most people need to do more exercise.
gentle/light exercise
Gentle exercise can be beneficial for older people.
vigorous/strenuous exercise
After the operation, you should avoid strenuous exercise.

2. MOVEMENT [countable] a movement or set of movements that you do regularly to keep your body healthy:
stretching exercises
You can do exercises to strengthen your stomach muscles.

3. FOR A SKILL [countable usually plural] an activity or process that helps you practise a particular skill:
relaxation exercises
role-play exercises

4. IN A BOOK [countable] a set of questions in a book that test a student’s knowledge or skill:
Do Exercises 3 and 4 on page 51 for homework.

5. FOR A PARTICULAR RESULT [singular] an activity or situation that has a particular quality or result:
closing libraries as part of a cost-cutting exercise
It’s a pointless exercise.
exercise in
Buying a house can be an exercise in frustration.

6. ARMY/NAVY ETC [uncountable and countable] a set of activities for training soldiers etc:
a military exercise
on exercise
Half the unit was away on exercise.

7. the exercise of something formal the use of a power or right:
the exercise of political leadership

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. exercise² S3 W2 verb

1. USE SOMETHING [transitive] formal to use a power, right, or quality that you have:
There are plans to encourage people to exercise their right to vote.
People who can exercise some control over their surroundings feel less anxious.

2. DO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY [intransitive] to do sports or physical activities in order to stay healthy and become stronger:
It’s important to exercise regularly.

3. USE PART OF YOUR BODY [transitive] to make a particular part of your body move in order to make it stronger:
Swimming exercises all the major muscle groups.

4. ANIMAL [transitive] to make an animal walk or run in order to keep it healthy and strong:
people exercising their dogs in the park

5. MAKE SOMEBODY THINK [transitive] formal
a) to make someone think about a subject or problem and consider how to deal with it:
It’s an issue that’s exercised the minds of scientists for a long time.
b) British English if something exercises someone, they think about it all the time and are very anxious or worried – often used humorously:
It was clear that Flavia had been exercised by this thought.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

exercise
noun
I. use of the body to keep healthy
ADJ. good, healthy | hard, strenuous, vigorous | gentle, light, moderate Try to do fifteen minutes of gentle exercise every day.
regular | daily, morning | adequate | aerobic | mental, physical
VERB + EXERCISE do, get, take John never does any exercise. Do you take enough exercise?
need
EXERCISE + NOUN programme, regime, routine | class | bike | video
PREP. during ~ Stop frequently to rest during exercise until you are fitter.
PHRASES a form/kind/type of exercise, lack of exercise Lack of exercise is a risk factor in heart disease.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
II. set of movements/activities
ADJ. basic, simple | keep-fit | warm-up | breathing, relaxation, strengthening, stretching | chest, leg, etc.
QUANT. set
VERB + EXERCISE do, perform Remember to do your breathing exercises every day. You may find it helpful to perform this exercise in front of the mirror.
devise You can devise your own exercises to music.
repeat

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
III. set of questions
ADJ. easy, simple | difficult, hard | oral, practical, written | practice | comprehension, grammar, listening, translation, writing
QUANT. set
VERB + EXERCISE do | give sb, set (sb) | create
PREP. ~ in an exercise in translation

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
IV. use of a power/a right/a quality
ADJ. effective the effective exercise futile, pointless In the end it proved a pointless exercise.
academic, intellectual, mental, (pen and) paper, technical, theoretical This is not a purely academic exercise: it should have a real impact on the way we work as a department. Role-playing situations allows a finer assessment to be made than in pen and paper exercises.
costly, expensive | political The whole consultation process was just a cynical political exercise.
joint | pilot After a successful pilot exercise last year, the new system is being introduced throughout the company.
consultation, cost-cutting, costing, damage limitation, evaluation, marketing, propaganda, publicity, public relations, research
VERB + EXERCISE carry out, conduct, perform The company has just carried out a major cost-cutting exercise.
embark on, mount Before embarking on any exercise, you should conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
devise
PREP. ~ in The seminar was a valuable exercise in information exchange.
PHRASES the aim/object of the exercise The object of the exercise is to increase public awareness of environmental issues.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
VI. for soldiers/police
ADJ. training | flying, military, naval | joint US forces took part in joint exercises with the British Navy.
VERB + EXERCISE do, go on, take part in The troops go on exercises twice a year.
mount
PREP. on ~ Half the regiment was away on exercise. of power by the government
free the free exercise of informed choice
peaceful | legitimate, proper | improper
VERB + EXERCISE limit, regulate | justify
PHRASES the exercise of authority/power to limit the exercise of political power
the exercise of discretion

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
V. for a particular result
ADJ. simple, straightforward | major, massive | successful | interesting, useful, valuable, worthwhile | arbitrary, cosmetic, cynical, fruitless,

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
verb
ADV. effectively | properly | lawfully, rightfully the purposes for which power can be rightfully exercised
VERB + EXERCISE be able to | be free to Managers are free to exercise their discretion in these cases.
be necessary to, need to It is necessary to exercise caution when making recommendations.
continue to The all-powerful steering committee continued to exercise control.
fail to You need to prove that the company's representative failed to exercise due care.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise

do some exercise (also take some exercise British English)
He ought to do more exercise.
He was advised by the doctor to take more exercise.
get some exercise
I don’t get enough exercise.
good exercise
Swimming is very good exercise for your muscles.
regular/daily exercise
Taking regular exercise is the best way to improve your overall health.
physical exercise
Physical exercise keeps you fit and helps to reduce stress.
hard/strenuous/vigorous exercise (=involving a lot of physical effort)
Pregnant women should avoid strenuous exercise.
gentle/light/moderate exercise (=not involving too much physical effort)
Try to do some gentle exercise as part of your daily routine.
aerobic exercise (=in which you breathe deeply and your heart beats faster)
Aerobic exercise, such as jogging or cycling, is a great way to burn off fat.
a type/form of exercise
This type of exercise is excellent for losing weight.
lack of exercise
Children are becoming overweight through lack of exercise.
an exercise programme/routine/regime British English, an exercise program American English (=a plan that includes different types of exercise)
The athletes follow an intensive exercise programme.
I’m finding it quite hard to stick to my exercise routine.
an exercise class
I usually go to my exercise class on Wednesdays.
do an exercise (also perform an exercise formal)
Try to do these exercises at least three days a week.
a basic exercise (=simple)
He showed me some basic exercises for strengthening leg muscles.
keep-fit exercises
I couldn’t get to the gym, so I did a few keep-fit exercises in my bedroom.
a warm-up exercise
Do some warm-up exercises before lifting heavy weights.
a yoga exercise
Yoga exercises keep you supple.
a breathing exercise
We do breathing exercises in my yoga class.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

exercise
noun
1.
BAD: Before breakfast I do exercise and then have a shower.
GOOD: Before breakfast I do some exercises and then have a shower.
BAD: I advise you to take as many exercises as you can.
GOOD: I advise you to take as much exercise as you can.
GOOD: I advise you to exercise as much as you can.

Usage Note:
exercise (countable noun)= a movement or set of movements that you do regularly to keep or make (a part of) your body strong and healthy: 'These exercises will help to develop your calf muscles.' 'Sometimes he forgets to do his exercises.'
exercise (uncountable noun) = physical activity such as walking, swimming etc: 'The doctor says I don't get enough exercise.'
exercise (verb) = walk, jog, swim etc to stay healthy: 'Just because you're on a diet, it doesn't mean that you don't need to exercise.'

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2.
BAD: Make sure that you eat properly and don't forget to make your exercises.
GOOD: Make sure that you eat properly and don't forget to do your exercises.

Usage Note:
do your exercises (NOT make ): 'Always warm up before you start doing these exercises.'
DO · HAVE · MAKE · TAKE
Many phrases begin with a very common very such as do, make, have, or take : ‘I felt very nervous about taking the test but, after having a long talk with Mrs Fisher, I decided I would just do my best and try not to make too many silly mistakes .’ These verbs can be combined with some nouns but not with others and since they do not have a clear meaning of their own, choosing the right combination can be a problem. Phrases which tend to cause difficulty are shown below.
HAVE
have a bath (or esp. AmE take ) ‘She’s probably upstairs having a bath.’
Have (your) breakfast ‘We usually have breakfast in the kitchen.’
Have (your) dinner ‘We had dinner and then went for a walk.’
Have a drink ‘I’ll collapse if I don’t have a drink soon.’
Have (an) experience ‘He has no experience of running a large company.’
Have fun ‘You can’t stop people from having fun.’
Have a holiday ‘It’s almost a year since we had a real holiday.’
Have an interview ‘I’ve had six interviews but no one has offered me a job.’
Have a lesson ‘Every morning we have three fifty-minute lessons.’
Have (your) lunch ‘Isn’t it about time we had lunch?’
Have an operation ‘Before I had the operation I could hardly walk.’
Have a party ‘On Saturday we’re having a party.’
Have a picnic ‘If it’s sunny we could have a picnic.’
Have a shower (or esp. AmE take) ‘It only takes me a minute to have a shower.’
TAKE
Take/do an examination ‘Why do we have to take so many tests?’
Take (your) medicine ‘Don’t forget to take your medicine.’
Take a pill ‘He refuses to take sleeping pills.’
Take/do a test ‘The last test I took was a disaster.’
MAKE
Make an effort ‘I had to make a big effort not to laugh.’
Make a journey ‘It was the first journey he’d made all on his own.’
Make a mistake ‘He has made a serious mistake.’
Make a noise ‘How can one small child make so much noise?’
Make progress ‘I made very little progress at the start of the course.’
DO
Do your best ‘Don’t worry, Tim. Just do your best.’
Do (or cause) damage ‘The storm did a lot of damage to the crops.’
Do an exercise ‘Have you done your exercises today?’
Do an experiment ‘To do this experiment, you’ll need two eggs.’
Do (sb) good ‘The holiday has done him a lot of good.’
Do harm ‘A scandal would do his reputation a lot of harm.’
Do your homework ‘Have you done your homework yet?’
Do a job ‘I’ve got one or two jobs to do this evening.’
Do the/some shopping ‘Jake has gone into town to do some shopping.’
Do research ‘We need to do a lot more research.’
Do things ‘We’ve done lots of different things today.’
Do your training ‘Where did you do your training?’
Note also: do something/anything etc: ‘I can’t come now – I’m doing something.’ ‘He hasn’t done anything wrong.'

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3.
BAD: You will never be able to speak fluently unless you do exercise.
GOOD: You will never be able to speak fluently unless you practise.

Usage Note:
practise = do something regularly in order to develop a skill: 'Your driving will never improve if you don't practise.' 'If we're planning to go to Montreal next summer, I'll have to practise my French.' 'Whenever I start practising the violin, everyone leaves the room.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

exercise to walk, do sports etc in order to stay healthy and become stronger:
To lose weight, exercise regularly and eat less.
do some exercise/a lot of exercise etc this phrase is much more common than the verb exercise, and means the same thing:
Her doctor said that she needed to do more exercise.
My son does very little exercise – I don’t know how he stays so slim.
Dogs need lots of exercise.
stay/keep/get in shape to stay or to become physically healthy and strong – used especially when you consider exercise as a way to keep a nice-looking body:
Try jogging with a friend who also wants to get in shape.
keep fit British English to exercise regularly in order to stay healthy and strong:
The class encourages older people to keep fit.
work out to do exercise in order to be healthy and strong, especially to exercise regularly in a gym or exercise class:
He works out three times a week.
tone up (also firm up) to exercise in order to make your body or part of your body firmer:
I need to tone up my stomach and legs.
warm up to do gentle exercises to prepare your body for more active exercise:
It’s important to warm up before you begin to play.
stretch to reach your arms, legs, or body out to full length, in order to make your muscles as long as possible, so that you do not injure them when you exercise:
Jog for five minutes, then stretch before starting on your run.
limber up (also loosen up) to do gentle exercises so that your muscles are warm and not tight before you begin a more active exercise:
The footballers were limbering up before a training session.
train especially British English to prepare for a sporting event by exercising in a particular way:
She’s training to do the London Marathon.
practise British English, practice American English to do a sports activity regularly, in order to get better and prepare for competition:
The team practices on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

use:
Do you mind if I use your phone?
They rebuilt the church using local stone.
We use a range of different methods.
make use of something to use something that is available to you:
Staff can make use of a wide range of facilities.
She made full use of her contacts within the organization.
employ formal to use a particular method or skill in order to achieve something:
The surgeons employed a new technique.
They employed every means at their disposal (=every available method).
utilize formal to use something that is available to you, for a practical purpose:
The company has developed a new way to utilize solar energy.
a better way of utilizing the space
exploit to use something as fully and effectively as possible, or to use something that will give you an advantage over your opponent:
The country’s natural resources have not yet been fully exploited.
He was quick to exploit any weakness in his opponent’s argument.
apply to use something such as a method, idea, or system in a particular situation:
New technology is being applied to almost every industrial process.
I wanted to apply the things that I had learned on the course.
draw on something to use information, knowledge, or experience that you have learned in the past:
He was able to draw on his own experience as a diplomat when he was writing the book.
Journalists draw on information from many different sources.
resort to something to use violence, force, threats etc as a way of achieving something:
Extremists on both sides resort to violence.
We are prepared to resort to force if necessary.
exercise formal to use your rights, authority, influence etc:
Only 40% of the poulation exercised their right to vote.
Congress must decide whether to exercise its veto.
wield /wiːld/ formal to use great power or influence:
The central banks wield enormous power.
widespread/extensive use (=when something is used in many places or situations, or among many people)
The widespread use of computers changed business completely.
efficient use
Doing the work in stages makes the most efficient use of resources.
effective use
We need to consider whether there could be a more effective use of our time.
heavy/frequent use (=when something is used a lot)
The heavy use of pesticides in the area led to severe health problems.
regular use
These drugs are not recommended for regular use.
greater use
We want to encourage employees to make greater use of the sports facilities.
land use
Our department is responsible for establishing the guidelines for land use in the county.
drug/alcohol use
Drug use among teenage boys is on the increase.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲