Mental Gymnastics

Pronunciation: /ˈmɛntəl dʒɪmˈnæstɪks/

Definitions of mental gymnastics

noun an activity or exercise that requires mental effort and skill to solve or understand

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like doing mental gymnastics, it's too confusing for me.

A2 She had to do some mental gymnastics to figure out the solution to the puzzle.

B1 Studying for this exam requires a lot of mental gymnastics to remember all the information.

B2 The debate team members are experts at mental gymnastics, always coming up with clever arguments.

C1 The scientist's groundbreaking theory required some serious mental gymnastics to understand and accept.

C2 The philosopher's complex ideas put readers through mental gymnastics as they tried to grasp the depth of his thoughts.

Examples of mental gymnastics in a Sentence

formal The process of solving complex mathematical equations requires a great deal of mental gymnastics.

informal Trying to figure out the plot twists in that movie had my brain doing mental gymnastics.

slang I can't believe she's trying to do mental gymnastics to justify her actions.

figurative His ability to come up with excuses on the spot is like watching mental gymnastics in action.

Grammatical Forms of mental gymnastics

• past tense: performed mental gymnastics
• plural: mental gymnastics
• comparative: more mental gymnastics
• superlative: most mental gymnastics
• present tense: perform mental gymnastics
• future tense: will perform mental gymnastics
• perfect tense: have performed mental gymnastics
• continuous tense: are performing mental gymnastics
• singular: mental gymnastics
• positive degree: mental gymnastics
• infinitive: to perform mental gymnastics
• gerund: performing mental gymnastics
• participle: performing mental gymnastics

Origin and Evolution of mental gymnastics

First Known Use: 1850 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'mental gymnastics' originates from the concept of physical gymnastics, which involves exercises to improve physical strength and agility. It was later adapted to describe the mental agility and flexibility required in complex thinking and problem-solving.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'mental gymnastics' has become commonly used to describe the mental effort and acrobatics needed to navigate challenging or convoluted situations, often implying a sense of complexity, creativity, and dexterity in thought processes.