I wonder what verb should be used with the word "dumbbell".
Some sources suggest the verb "to lift".
But my point is "lifting and lowering a dumbbell repeatedly as an exercise". It seems to me that "lifting a dumbbell" means "lifting it for once, not repeatedly lifting and lowering it", like when weightlifters lift weights.
It seems like that English doesn't use a well-established verb for this concept.
Does anybody have an idea?
Best Answer
"Lift" really is right. It's what we generally do with weights, even though lowering under control is an important part of the exercise. Used alone, "lift" implies a number of reps and even sets suitable for the activity (which can vary, a 1-rep max weight might be more common with barbells, but makes sense here).
In fact, "lift" can be used in context without an object, as in "do you even lift".
If you were lifting a dumbbell to carry it back to the rack, you'd probably use "pick up" instead of "lift". Other verbs may be used for specific movements , like "curl", "press", or even "row" (rare, but used as a verb towards the end of that link).