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• beach
  beach

  noun

  an expanse of sand or pebbles along a shore.
• Beach
  Beach

  noun

  Alfred Ely, 1826–96, U.S. editor, publisher, and inventor.

beach

¹ American  

[beech] / bitʃ /

noun

• beaches
  plural

1. an expanse of sand or pebbles along a shore.

2. the part of the shore of an ocean, sea, large river, lake, etc., washed by the tide or waves.

   Synonyms:

   littoral, strand, seashore, coast

3. the area adjacent to a seashore.

   We're vacationing at the beach.

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verb (used with object)

• beaches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• beached,
  past participle,  past
• beaching
  present participle

1. Nautical. to haul or run onto a beach.

   We beached the ship to save it.

2. to make inoperative or unemployed.

   Synonyms:

   ground

Beach ² American  

[beech] / bitʃ /

noun

1. Alfred Ely, 1826–96, U.S. editor, publisher, and inventor.

2. Amy Marcey Cheney 1867–1944, U.S. composer and pianist.

3. Moses Yale, 1800–68, U.S. newspaper publisher.

4. Rex Ellingwood 1877–1949, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

5. Sylvia Woodbridge, 1887–1962, U.S. bookseller and publisher in France.

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beach British  

/ biːtʃ /

noun

1. an extensive area of sand or shingle sloping down to a sea or lake, esp the area between the high- and low-water marks on a seacoast

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verb

1. to run or haul (a boat) onto a beach

beach Scientific  

/ bēch /

1. The area of accumulated sand, stone, or gravel deposited along a shore by the action of waves and tides. Beaches usually slope gently toward the body of water they border and have a concave shape. They extend landward from the low water line to the point where there is a distinct change in material (as in a line of vegetation) or in land features (as in a cliff).

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Synonym Usage

See shore ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• beachless
  adjective
• unbeached
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beaches
  plural

Participles

• beaching
  present
• beached
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• beach
  simple
• beaches
  simple
• have beached
  perfect
• has beached
  perfect
• am beaching
  progressive
• are beaching
  progressive
• is beaching
  progressive
• have been beaching
  perfect progressive
• has been beaching
  perfect progressive

Past

• beached
  simple
• had beached
  perfect
• was beaching
  progressive
• were beaching
  progressive
• had been beaching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will beach
  simple
• will have beached
  perfect
• will be beaching
  progressive
• will have been beaching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of beach

First recorded in 1525–35; of obscure origin

Explanation

You know that wide, flat patch of sand that leads down to the sea, or maybe even the lake? That's a beach, one of the most beautiful places in the world. During a long, stormy winter, a beach can erode and move. The word beach can also be used more generally to describe a town or vacation spot along the ocean or sea. In New Jersey, they call it the shore. But in lots of other places, people say they're going to the beach when they mean they are taking a trip to the seaside for vacation. Of course, if you beach your boat, you might not be overjoyed: that means you've run it aground, usually on a choice pile of sand.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beach Beach beaches beached beaching

Beaumont players were getting three hours of beach or pool time on Friday in Waikiki.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

We have verified several videos shared on social media showing thick, black oil washing up on Suza beach in southern Qeshm.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the property boasts ample space for large families—or for those seeking a private beach sanctuary where they can entertain friends and loved ones.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

"We are on the beach and looking for a way to get away," Sophia, a homeowner in the region who only gave her first name, told AFP by phone.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

I was smart enough to wear my beach visor and sunglasses, but I can already feel the tips of my ears starting to bake.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Perched on a hilltop overlooking the ocean and the iconic Zuma Beach, the 4,000-square-foot main residence offers unobstructed views of the water, which are beautifully framed by floor-to-ceiling windows.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

His image is featured on a limited edition US passport, and the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida is now named for him.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

At privately owned Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, where parking was free in the old days, the fee is up to $10 a day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Kometer said it should be a tarmac rally stage while professional stunt driver and Long Beach local Sarah Fairfield, who piloted the second ’26 MX-5 on this trip, equated it to a roller coaster.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Meanwhile, Duane rushed through the grassy meadows and around the berry bushes and onto the Fabulous Beach in time to see the ocean fog moving ever closer to the Shipwreck.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

“This creates far too many opportunities for something to go wrong, and when something does go wrong, it’s our oceans, beaches, wildlife and coastal economy that pay the price.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Some were moved to nearby beaches, while about 200 tourists were taken to a ship waiting at sea.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

With its golden beaches, whitewashed villages, stunning sunsets and ancient history, it’s no surprise that Greece is an increasingly popular destination for sun-loving tourists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

People gathered at beaches, parks and attractions across the South East to watch the Moon pass in front of the Sun during a partial solar eclipse.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Ground, sea, and air troops from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, supported by the French resistance, stormed onto the beaches of Normandy in France.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

What’s more depressing is that a research biologist interviewed by KING-TV, Seattle’s NBC affiliate, stated that the beached whales people have encountered likely represent only a quarter to a fifth of the total death toll.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

At the toe of the bluff, the geotubes stretched out like a beached Leviathan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026

Vonk and his team ensure the country is ready for extreme scenarios: a drought meaning all inland shipping is beached or a devastating storm surge.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2025

But not before Maxine sings a song to a beached whale, calling it back into the sea.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

But Jeanne is coughing and choking and Jacob is gasping like a beached fish and William, great William, is sinking.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

A humpback whale rescued after beaching itself in Germany has been found dead near a Danish island.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

A humpback whale that underwent a rescue operation in Germany two weeks ago after beaching itself there has been found dead near a Danish island, officials said Saturday.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

“It doesn’t cut a dent in their population,” he said of the beaching phenomenon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2024

But authorities and researchers, baffled by the behavior, feared that a mass beaching was imminent.

From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2023

Carefully, we inched the Miss Amanda around the sandbar without beaching her until we were directly above the deep water.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Related Words

• coast
• shore
• waterfront