fitness
gb/fˈɪtnəs/ us/fˈɪtnəs/
A2
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
state
1
physical health and strength
When your body is healthy, strong, and able to do exercise or daily activities well.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s fitness
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fitness' with 'fitting' (meaning suitable). 'Fitness' refers to health and strength, not suitability.
Synonyms
health (A broader term that includes mental and emotional well-being, not just physical condition.)
|
wellness (Often used to emphasize overall lifestyle and balance, not just physical ability.)
Antonyms
illness (Refers to a state of poor health or disease, the opposite of good physical condition.)
|
unfitness (Lack of physical health or capability for physical activity.)
Collocations
physical fitness
|improve fitness
|maintain fitness
|fitness level
|fitness program
Themes
health
|sports
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- Regular exercise can greatly improve your fitness.
- Her fitness level has increased since she started running every morning.
- The coach tested the players' fitness before the season began.
- Maintaining fitness is important for preventing health problems.
- He joined a gym to work on his fitness.
Learner examples
- I go to the gym to improve my fitness.
- Good fitness helps you feel strong.
- Running is good for your fitness.
- She works hard to keep her fitness high.
- My fitness is better now than last year.
Noun
technical
B2
property
2
suitability for a purpose
Being right or good for a certain job, use, or situation.
Usage pattern:
fitness for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with physical health; here it refers to being suitable, not just healthy.
Synonyms
suitability (Neutral term for being appropriate for something.)
|
eligibility (Focuses more on meeting formal requirements.)
Antonyms
unsuitability (The state of not being right or appropriate for something.)
|
ineligibility (Failure to meet the requirements for a role or purpose.)
Collocations
fitness for duty
|fitness to practice
|determine fitness
|mental fitness
Themes
work
|law
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The committee will assess his fitness for the position.
- Her fitness to practice medicine was questioned after the incident.
- The judge considered the defendant's mental fitness to stand trial.
- Physical tests will determine your fitness for military service.
Learner examples
- They will check her fitness for the job.
- He has the fitness to be a teacher.
- The doctor looked at my fitness to work.
- We test the machines for their fitness.
Noun
technical
C1
property
3
biological survival ability
In biology, how well an animal or plant can live and have babies in its home environment.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with physical exercise; in biology it has a different meaning focused on survival and reproduction.
Synonyms
adaptiveness (Emphasizes adjustment to environmental conditions.)
Antonyms
maladaptation (Poor adjustment to the environment, reducing survival chances.)
Collocations
evolutionary fitness
|relative fitness
|Darwinian fitness
Themes
science
|biology
|nature
Examples
- Natural selection favors traits that increase an organism's fitness.
- The bird's bright feathers may reduce its fitness by attracting predators.
- Fitness in evolutionary terms is about reproductive success.
- Scientists measure relative fitness among competing species.
Learner examples
- Fitness in nature means living well and having babies.
- Some animals have high fitness in their home area.
- In biology, fitness is about survival and reproduction.
Grammar
Expressions
fitness center
1/fˈɪtnəs sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
place for physical exercise
A building or room with equipment people use to get fit and healthy.
Examples
- I go to the fitness center three times a week.
- The hotel has a small fitness center for guests.
level of fitness
1/lˈɛvəl əv fˈɪtnəs/
fixed phrase
measurement of physical condition
How healthy and strong someone is compared to others or before.
Examples
- His level of fitness has improved since last year.
- They measured the athletes' level of fitness before the race.
fitness tracker
1/fˈɪtnəs tɹˈækɚ/
fixed phrase
device to track activity and health
A small device you wear to record your steps, heart rate, and other health information.
Examples
- She bought a new fitness tracker to monitor her workouts.
- My fitness tracker buzzes every hour to remind me to move.
- My fitness tracker tells me how many steps I take each day.
- She bought a new fitness tracker to help her train for the marathon.