Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
tummy crunch

tummy crunch

3.7
An exercise that lifts the shoulders toward the hips to work the stomach muscles
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌmi krʌntʃ/
  • Informal
translation icon : abdominales
  • My fitness instructor demonstrated the correct way to perform a tummy crunch.

Examples

  • I do tummy crunches every morning.

  • Doing tummy crunches daily can help develop stronger core muscles.

  • She prefers tummy crunches over sit-ups because they're easier on her back.

  • She loves doing tummy crunches at the gym.

  • To strengthen my core, I try to do three sets of tummy crunches every day.

  • She incorporated tummy crunches into her workout routine to improve her fitness.

  • After completing a series of tummy crunches, he felt his abdominal muscles burning.

Synonyms

sit-up
vstummy crunch
6 2.3

An exercise where you lie on your back and lift your upper body to strengthen stomach muscles

involves only a small shoulder lift toward the pelvis rather than rising fully upright
abdo exercise
vstummy crunch
  • Informal
3.6

An exercise that works the stomach muscles

is a specific repeated shoulder lift movement rather than a general abdominal exercise
stomach exercise
vstummy crunch
3.0

An exercise that makes the muscles around your belly stronger

is a specific repeated shoulder lift focused on core contraction rather than general strengthening

Antonyms

relaxation
  • Specialized
2 3.6

A muscle becomes less tight and returns to a resting state

How Intense

sit-up
6 2.3
tummy crunch
  • Informal
3.7
abdo exercise
  • Informal
3.6

Surface Forms

tummy crunch singular
tummy crunches plural

Morphology

tummy + crunch

The compound directly combines 'tummy' (belly) with 'crunch' (a contracting/rounding movement or a common exercise term), so the overall meaning — an exercise that works the abdominal area — is transparently derivable from the parts. This compositional fitness naming pattern is common in English and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Tummy crunch comes from the clear image of the tummy, your belly, making a small crunch when you pull it tight; the word crunch here paints the short, folding movement of the belly muscles. That's why tummy crunch means a short exercise where you lift your shoulders toward your pelvis to tighten the belly and 'strengthen the core'.