Standard Lemma guide

fartlek

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɑːtlɛk/
  • General-American: /ˈfɑɹtlək/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An athletic training technique, used especially in running, in which periods of intense effort alternate with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: interval training

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a method of athletic training (especially for runners) in which strenuous effort and normal effort alternate in a continuous exercise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: athletic training

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish fartlek, from fart (“speed”) + lek (“child’s play”).

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: vauhtileikittely — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Georgian: ფარტლეკი (parṭleḳi) — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • German: Fahrtspiel — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Hebrew: אימון פארטלק — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Japanese: ファルトレク — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Lithuanian: fartlekas — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Russian: фартлек (fartlek) — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Serbo-Croatian: fartlek — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout
  • Swedish: fartlek — training technique in which periods of intense effort alternative with periods of less strenuous effort in a continuous workout