What does "chin-up" mean?

(US) An exercise done for strengthening the arms and back, in which one lifts one's own weight while hanging from a bar. It can be defined more restrictively on criteria like the arms starting at lock-out, or the chin requiring contact with the bottom of the bar, or touching the neck to the bar. Palms may be facing in any direction.

What is a synonym for "chin-up"?

Common synonyms include: pull-up.

Chin-up

//ˈtʃɪn.ʌp// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
(US) An exercise done for strengthening the arms and back, in which one lifts one's own weight while hanging from a bar. It can be defined more restrictively on criteria like the arms starting at lock-out, or the chin requiring contact with the bottom of the bar, or touching the neck to the bar. Palms may be facing in any direction.
"Compare the actions of the humerus during the performance of a chin-up with supinated grip with those during the performance of a chin-up with pronated grip. Are the chin-ups alike or different with respect to muscle involvement?"
2
an arm exercise performed by pulling yourself up on a horizontal bar until your chin is level with the bar wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

pull-up

Example

More examples

"You know you're in pathetic shape when you can't even do one chin-up."

Etymology

From chin + up, but not a deverbal, unlike pull-up. The chin-up and the muscle-up as variations of pulling oneself upward were named later than the pull-up, with influence from its name.

Related phrases

chin-up bar

More for "chin-up"

Synonyms Sentences Pronunciation Translate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation Browse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.