English Reference

Word

aerobic

Phoneticsaer·o·bic

US/ɛˈɹoʊbɪk/

UK/eəɹˈəʊbɪk/

Definitions

01exercise

B2 · Sport

adj. describes exercise that strengthens your heart and lungs by making you breathe more deeply.

adj. relating to or denoting exercise that improves the efficiency of the body's cardiovascular system in absorbing and transporting oxygen.

“Swimming and cycling are great aerobic exercises for improving your fitness.”

“The trainer recommended a consistent aerobic routine to enhance the athlete's endurance before the marathon season began.”

Antonyms

02biology

C1 · Science

adj. describes a living thing that can only live or grow when oxygen is present.

adj. requiring free oxygen for life or survival; occurring only in the presence of oxygen.

“Some bacteria are aerobic and need air to grow in the lab.”

“The researchers identified several aerobic organisms in the upper layers of the soil where oxygen levels were highest.”

Technical

Synonyms

oxygen-dependent

Antonyms

03relating to aerobics classes

B2 · Sport

adj. relating to 'aerobics', which is a type of energetic physical class with music.

adj. pertaining to the system of energetic physical exercises often performed in a group setting to music.

“She bought new aerobic shoes for her dance fitness class on Tuesdays.”

“The community centre offers various aerobic sessions designed to accommodate different age groups and fitness levels.”

Real-World Examples

“Examples of low-impact exercise include swimming and water aerobics.”
ScienceDaily · 16 Aug 2026

Etymology

From French aérobie, coined in 1863 by Louis Pasteur, from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”) + βίος (bíos, “life”) + -ic.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

aerobicAdjectiveaerobicsNoun

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/aerobic

English Reference