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marathon Meaning & Definition

/ˈmæɹəθən/

What Does Marathon Mean?

Marathon is used as a noun meaning A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race. It can also mean Any extended or sustained activity. As a verb, it means To run a marathon.

Marathon in Brief

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/ˈmæɹəθən/
Synonymsendurance contest and battle of marathon
Pluralmarathons
Verb formsmarathons, marathoning, marathoned

Marathon Definition (Noun)

  1. A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.
  2. Any extended or sustained activity.

    He had a cleaning marathon the night before his girlfriend came over.

Marathon as a Verb

  1. To run a marathon.
  2. To watch or read a large number of instalments of (a film, book, TV series, etc.) in one sitting.

    We're going to marathon Star Trek next weekend.

Noun

  1. (by extension) Any extended or sustained activity.

    He had a cleaning marathon the night before his girlfriend came over.

Synonyms of Marathon

endurance contestbattle of marathon
Marathon synonyms and antonyms →

Marathon in a Sentence

He had a cleaning marathon the night before his girlfriend came over.

We're going to marathon Star Trek next weekend.

Word Forms & Grammar

marathon (plural marathons)

marathon (third-person singular simple present marathons, present participle marathoning, simple past and past participle marathoned)

Words That Rhyme With Marathon

Origin of Marathon

From French marathon, coined in 1894 by linguist Michel Bréal for the first modern time Olympic Games after Ancient Greek Μαραθών (Marathṓn), a town northeast of Athens. Phidippides the Greek ran the distance from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message regarding the Battle of Marathon. The modern sport of marathon running is based on a run approximately the same distance. The toponym itself comes from μάραθον (márathon, “fennel”) and refers to the prevalence of the plant in the area.[1]

Marathon: Your Questions Answered

Is marathon a noun or a verb?

Marathon is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for marathon?

Close synonyms of marathon are endurance contest and battle of marathon. See the full list of marathon synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of marathon?

The plural of marathon is marathons.

What is the past tense of marathon?

The past tense of marathon is marathoned. The present participle is marathoning.

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