Showing results for "swimming"

• present participle of swim.

swimming

American  

[swim-ing] / ˈswɪm ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that swims.

2. the skill or technique of a person who swims.

3. the sport of swimming.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, characterized by, or capable of swimming.

2. used in or for swimming.

   swimming trunks.

3. immersed in or overflowing with water or some other liquid.

4. dizzy or giddy.

   a swimming head.

Other Word Forms

• swimmingness
  noun
• nonswimming
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of swimming

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English swimmende (adjective). See swim, -ing ², -ing ¹

Explanation

Swimming is an activity that involves moving through the water using your arms and legs. One of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day is swimming in a cold lake or pool. Swimming is both a casual activity and a serious sport. To you, swimming may involve splashing through the waves or dog-paddling across a public pool. Olympic athletes, on the other hand, swim distances as far as 1500 meters at unbelievable speeds. As an adjective, swimming describes anything that swims or that's used for swimming, like a swimming hole. You can also poetically describe a crying person's eyes as "swimming with tears."

Example Sentences

The City of Southampton Swimming Club has said even more needs to be done to teach swimming in schools first.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Swimming pools, well-manicured lawns, carefully appointed midcentury interiors, glimmering light and stylish people abound.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

She is in the International Swimming Hall of Fame and has a British Empire Medal for her dedication to swimming.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

By comparison, the Swimming Pigs Express package the cruise line offered was $154 for adults.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Swimming in front of the ship was a pod of marine mammals.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan