Okuzeka
Sports & Fitness vocabulary · Injuries & Recovery

Strain

Meaning in sports & fitness, with examples

/streɪn/nounCore term

In sports & fitness, strain means: An injury in which a muscle or tendon is overstretched or partly torn, often in the hamstring, calf or groin.

In Turkish: zorlanma, kas zorlanması, adale zorlanması

How it is used

Very common in sports news and medical reports: a hamstring strain, a calf strain, a groin strain. Informally, people say they pulled a muscle. Strains are often graded from 1 to 3 by severity.

Example sentences

  1. The winger is out for three weeks with a hamstring strain.

  2. It's only a minor calf strain, but we won't risk him on Sunday.

Common collocations

  • hamstring strain
  • calf strain
  • groin strain
  • muscle strain
  • minor strain
  • sprainAn injury in which a ligament, the tissue that joins bones at a joint, is stretched or torn, often at the ankle, knee or wrist.
  • hamstringOne of the three muscles at the back of the thigh that bend the knee and extend the hip; the group is usually called the hamstrings.
  • muscleA soft body tissue that can contract and relax to move parts of the body; skeletal muscles are attached to bones by tendons.
  • injuryPhysical damage to the body, such as a torn muscle, a sprained ankle or a broken bone, especially one that stops an athlete from training or playing.
  • sidelinedUnable to play or compete for a period of time, usually because of an injury or illness.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Injuries & Recovery

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: