Synonyms

swimmingly

American

[swim-ing-lee] / ˈswɪm ɪŋ li /

adverb

without difficulty; with great success; effortlessly.

She passed the exam swimmingly.

swimmingly British

/ ˈswɪmɪŋlɪ /

adverb

successfully, effortlessly, or well (esp in the phrase go swimmingly )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of swimmingly

1615–25; swimming (in sense “progressing smoothly”) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was all going swimmingly on Monday, too, and the index was within touching distance of hitting the 8,000 mark.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

But for Cadillac, the transition is going swimmingly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

He only ever speaks when it's going wrong for him or it's not going swimmingly.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

There’s nothing like a Fed put to buttress markets, even if doubts exist this whole artificial-intelligence thing is going to work out swimmingly.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 24, 2025

His intensity reminded her of Simon Harley-Dickinson, and she took comfort in the thought that her new friend and Simon would get along swimmingly, if they should ever have the chance to meet.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023