Workout Is a Phrasal Verb That Became a Noun
A workout is a session of exercise. English builds nouns like this constantly, and the space tells you which one you mean.
A workout is a session of physical exercise. The word shows a habit English uses over and over: take a phrasal verb, squeeze out the space, and you have a noun. *Work out* is what you do; *workout* is the thing you did. The same pattern gives us breakout, takeaway, setup and login.
- A session of exercise. *A morning workout.*
- A demanding test. *The engine got a good workout.*
- Work out (verb) — to exercise, or to solve. *Work out the answer.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | workout | A hard workout. |
| Plural | workouts | Weekly workouts. |
| Verb phrase | work out | I work out daily. |
| Past | worked out | It worked out well. |
| Related | exercise | Regular exercise. |
How it is used in a sentence
- I work out three times a week.Verb: two words.
- That was a tough workout.Noun: one word.
- It all worked out in the end.A different sense: resolved well.
The same pattern
- set up → setup
- break out → breakout
- log in → login
- take away → takeaway
- back up → backup
An American formation of the early twentieth century, from the verb phrase *work out*. The noun sense of a trial run came first in sport and boxing.
Workout or work out?
One word for the noun, two for the verb. You work out and then talk about the workout.
Why does English do this?
Compounding is one of its main ways of making nouns. The written space closes as the phrase becomes a familiar thing.