ENGLISH
REFERENCE

treadmill

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtɹɛdˌmɪɫ// UK //tɹˈɛdmɪl// tread·mill Archaic

n. a piece of exercise equipment with a moving belt that you walk or run on while staying in one place.

n. an exercise machine consisting of a continuous moving belt on which a person walks or runs. Often used metaphorically to describe a repetitive, exhausting task or lifestyle that seems to have no end.


SIMPLE

I run on the treadmill for thirty minutes every morning.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day at the office, she finds that a brisk walk on the treadmill helps her clear her head.

COMPLEX

Many young professionals find themselves trapped on a corporate treadmill, working increasingly long hours to maintain a lifestyle they are too exhausted to actually enjoy.

Synonyms
Origin

From tread + mill. Its figurative senses refer to the idea that running on a treadmill requires continued effort and motion to remain in the same place.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'on'.

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