cruise
verb (used without object)
to sail about on a pleasure trip.
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cruise
1 American
[krooz]
/ kruz /
verb (used without object)
-
cruises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cruised,
past participle, past
-
cruising
present participle
-
to sail about on a pleasure trip.
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to sail about, as a warship patrolling a body of water.
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to travel about without a particular purpose or destination.
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to fly, drive, or sail at a constant speed that permits maximum operating efficiency for sustained travel.
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to travel at a moderately fast, easily controllable speed.
cruising along the highway enjoying the scenery.
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to travel about slowly, looking for customers or for something demanding attention.
Taxis and police cars cruise in the downtown area.
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to go or travel (often followed byover ).
Let's cruise over to my house after the concert.
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Informal. to go about on the streets or in public areas in search of a sexual partner.
verb (used with object)
-
cruises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cruised,
past participle, past
-
cruising
present participle
-
to cruise in (a specified area).
patrol cars cruising the neighborhood; to cruise the Caribbean.
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Informal.
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to move slowly through or visit (a street, park, bar, etc.) in search of a sexual partner.
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to make sexual overtures to; attempt to arouse the sexual interest of.
-
-
to inspect (a tract of forest) for the purpose of estimating lumber potential.
noun
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cruises
plural
-
the act of cruising.
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a pleasure voyage on a ship, usually with stops at various ports.
Cruise
2
American
[krooz]
/ kruz /
noun
cruise
1
British
/ kruːz /
verb
-
(intr) to make a trip by sea in a liner for pleasure, usually calling at a number of ports
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to sail or travel over (a body of water) for pleasure in a yacht, cruiser, etc
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(intr) to search for enemy vessels in a warship
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(intr) (of a vehicle, aircraft, or vessel) to travel at a moderate and efficient speed
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informal (intr) to search the streets or other public places for a sexual partner
noun
Cruise
2
British
/ kruːz /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cruisesimple
-
cruisessimple
-
have cruisedperfect
-
has cruisedperfect
-
am cruisingprogressive
-
are cruisingprogressive
-
is cruisingprogressive
-
have been cruisingperfect progressive
-
has been cruisingperfect progressive
Past
-
cruisedsimple
-
had cruisedperfect
-
was cruisingprogressive
-
were cruisingprogressive
-
had been cruisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cruise
1645–55; < Dutch kruisen to cross, cruise, derivative of kruis cross
Explanation
If your mom announces “We’re taking a cruise!” then pack your bags. A cruise is a vacation spent on a ship that sails the ocean, periodically stopping in ports for sightseeing. Cruise can also be a verb that describes sailing around aimlessly for fun. You might cruise the canals of Venice in a small boat. If you don’t live in Venice, you can still cruise — but you might do it in your car. Cruise can be used to describe a leisurely drive taken just for fun. You might cruise around the neighborhood on a Saturday with no real destination in mind. Cruise can also describe traveling easily at a moderate speed.
Vocabulary lists containing cruise
Greetings, World Traveler! — List 2
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List 4
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 1–January 7, 2022
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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.
See Examples For:
Airlines and cruise ship operators continued their retreat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
In terms of air defence, analysts say the new drones more closely resemble a cruise missile than a conventional drone.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Sabalenka began the match in cruise control, breaking in sixth seed Noskova's opening service game and racing into a 5-2 lead, before being broken as she served for the set.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
In warmer weather, you can rent kayaks, wave runners and paddleboards or take a seasonal cruise aboard the Lake Lawn Queen; winter brings cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing and sledding.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
They wanted us to cruise through the quaint streets of downtown Los Gatos with friends.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
Marin gave us New Age music and Pablo Cruise; it also gave us Jim Carroll’s indelible punk classic, “People Who Died.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Disney Cruise Line announced its return to New York City, albeit for a limited number of sailings in fall 2027.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Ambassador Cruise Lines said the captain of the MS Ambition raised the alarm after a man was reported missing before it arrived in the city from Lerwick earlier.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
It was the accessories at Jonathan Anderson’s first Cruise show for Dior that left an impression months after the last streetlamp was turned off at the base of the David Geffen Galleries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The news of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's wedding was everywhere.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
They see their young granddaughter often and are planning cruises to Panama and in Scandinavia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Céline Dion tribute boat cruises on Seine - complete with costume contests, sing-alongs, DJ sets, are happening throughout September.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Passengers described stifling conditions as well as problems with plumbing after paying thousands of pounds for European cruises, including on the Danube River.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Travel agents have access to cheaper bookings and perks: They can often provide discounts on hotels, cruises and tours, or access to perks like VIP packages and upgraded rooms that aren’t available to the public.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
There was one major difference between Dusty Muleman’s operation and the gambling cruises up in Miami: The Coral Queen didn’t actually go anywhere.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Not only was Rybakina able to play, but she cruised through her opening four matches thanks to a huge service game that rarely allowed opponents to get into points.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Paul goes on to face Kazakh 15th seed Alexander Bublik, who cruised past French veteran Adrian Mannarino in a 6-3 6-1 6-1 win.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Snell had cruised through the first two innings, a Texas leaguer into shallow right field the only blemish on an otherwise perfect beginning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
But he cruised into the Hall of Fame last December as the only person elected on an Era Committee ballot that included all-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young Award-winner Roger Clemens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Then he started the engine and cruised past for a final look.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The third match saw Auston Kim and Rose Zhang from the US dominating Nastasia Nadaud and Leona Maguire, never slipping behind and cruising to a 3&2 win.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
One of these automobiles could come cruising into her life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Security was visibly heightened at the event, with police cruising the canals in motorboats.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
A travel content creator who spent years working as a cruise ship musician, he says river cruising remains a mythic fantasy for a lot of younger travelers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It was perfectly happy cruising in second gear: he guessed it must have spent a lot of its time at that speed, holding up traffic.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
