marathon — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A 42.195-kilometre (26-mile-385-yard) road race.

2. Any extended or sustained activity.

   Usage

   • broadly
   • Figurative

   Examples

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

   I learned from the marathon that to finish a race you simply keep running.

   More examples (1)

   After a marathon session that included more than 14 hours of mostly negative public comment, the council agreed 11 to 4 to fund the center, and then gaveled out just before 6 a.m.

Verb

1. To run a marathon.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   In less than two years, they and their family and friends have skydived, marathoned, tray-baked and dinner-danced their way to £130,000 for Duchenne research through their help4harry campaign.

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

   Usage

   • Informal
   • Transitive

   Examples

   We're going to marathon Star Trek next weekend.

Noun

1. any long and arduous undertaking

   Synonyms

   endurance contest

   Broader terms

   undertakingprojecttasklaborlabour

2. a footrace of 26 miles 385 yards

   Broader terms

   footracefoot racerun