It was a conversation with a neighbor who had trained with the 101st Airborne when this word confusion stamina versus endurance came up. I was curious as to the difference, and at first glance there didn’t seem to be one, as both are about sustaining an action for a long time.
“Tests of endurance: marathon, cross-country running, gymnastics, martial arts
Tests of stamina: 40-meter dash, powerlifting, high jump, shot put”
The difference appears to be that endurance is “how long someone can do something at normal or low intensity” while stamina is “often used specifically to refer to how long a person can do something at maximum effort”.
“Sprinters rely more on stamina to get them through a 100-meter dash where they are demanding maximal output from their bodies. While still performing the movement of running, distance runners opt for endurance; running at a slower, more sustainable pace to be able to run for a much longer period of time.
Credit to: Kelly; Yetman; Stamina
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Endurance | Stamina |
|---|---|
TCS NYC Marathon is courtesy of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. — A marathon requires endurance. |
Relay Race Requires Stamina for the Short Run is in the public domain, via PxHere. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: endurance |
Noun
Plural: stamina |
| Adjective: Denoting or relating to a race or other sporting event that takes place over a long distance or otherwise demands great physical stamina Noun:
Continuing existence
|
Noun: The ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort Physical or moral strength to resist or withstand illness, fatigue, or hardship
[Botany] A plural of stamen |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: The date was approaching for the annual 24-hour endurance race. Endurance is “made up of two components: cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance” (Yetman). “Training for endurance can reduce endurance strength unless an individual also undertakes resistance training to counteract this effect” (Endurance). Noun: It was a test of endurance. She was close to the limit of her endurance. A marathon tests a runner’s endurance. Through hard work and endurance, we will complete this project. The book is about the endurance of the class system in Britain. |
Noun: Their secret is stamina rather than speed. You have to have a lot of stamina to be a top-class dancer. Has he enough stamina for the job? The class will require intellectual stamina. Long-distance runners require plenty of stamina. “There stood white lilies with blood-red stamina, skyblue tulips, which shone as they waved in the winds, and apple-trees, the apples of which looked exactly like large soapbubbles: So only think how the trees must have sparkled in the sunshine!” (Andersen). |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: endurable Verb: endure |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| Late 15th century, in the sense continued existence, ability to last (formerly also as indurance), from the Old French, from endurer meaning make hard. | Late 17th century, in the sense rudiments, essential elements of something, from the Latin, plural of stamen in the sense threads spun by the Fates. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Endurance versus Stamina
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Andersen, Hans Christian. “The Bell.” Andersen’s Fairy Tales. Originally published 1820. 2010. <https://amzn.to/46Y7Orq>. Ebook.
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: endurance
“Endurance.” Wikipedia. 25 Sept 2023. Accessed 13 Dec 2023. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endurance>.
The Free Dictionary: endurance
Kelly, Tim. “Stamina vs. Endurance: What’s the difference?” Brooks Running.com. 9 Nov 2021. Accessed 13 Dec 2023. <https://www.brooksrunning.com/en_us/blog/advice-tips/stamina-vs-endurance.html>.
“Stamina vs. Endurance: Working Out the Difference.” Thesaurus.com. 4 May 2023. Accessed 13 Dec 2023. <https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/stamina-vs-endurance/>.
Wiederkehr, Anna. “Canceled Races aren’t Stopping Endurance Athletes From Setting Wild New Records.” FiveThirtyEight. 20 July 2020. Accessed 13 Dec 2023. <https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/canceled-races-arent-stopping-endurance-athletes-from-setting-wild-new-records/>.
Yetman, Daniel. “What’s the Difference Between Endurance and Stamina?” Daniel Bubnis. (Medically reviewed.) Healthline. 12 June 2020. Accessed 13 Dec 2023. <https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/endurance-vs-stamina>.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Sydney International Tennis ATP by Rob Keating and courtesy of the Sydney International Tennis ATP is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
