iron man
/'ainə'mæn/
Definition
Noun: 1. A person of exceptional physical strength and endurance: This term refers to an individual, typically a man, who possesses great physical power and the ability to withstand prolonged and demanding physical activity or hardship without tiring. 2. A specific type of athletic competition: It can refer to a multi-event endurance race, most famously a long-distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Person):
- The construction foreman was known as an iron man, working 12-hour shifts without complaint.
- In the old stories, the blacksmith was the village iron man, capable of tasks that would exhaust others.
- Noun (Event):
- He has been training for years to compete in his first Ironman triathlon.
- The Ironman World Championship is held annually in Hawaii.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used metaphorically to describe someone with great mental or emotional resilience.
- After leading the company through the crisis, the CEO was hailed as an iron man of the business world.
- When referring to the triathlon, it is frequently capitalized as a proper noun: Ironman.
Variants and Related Words
- Ironwoman (n): The female equivalent, referring to a woman of exceptional physical endurance or a female competitor in an Ironman triathlon.
- Iron (adj): Used figuratively to mean very strong, inflexible, or determined, as in .
Synonyms
- Stalwart: A loyal, reliable, and hardworking person.
- Workhorse: A person who performs a large amount of work, especially of a demanding nature.
- Athlete: A person proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise. (Specific to the competition sense).
Related Phrases and Idioms
- Man of steel: A very strong and brave man (similar in meaning to the "person" sense of ).
- The firefighter who ran into the burning building was a true man of steel.
- To have nerves of steel: To be very brave and not easily frightened.
- The bomb disposal expert needed nerves of steel for his job.
Noun
-
a strong man of exceptional physical endurance
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