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
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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.
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to inspect (a tract of forest) for the purpose of estimating lumber potential.
noun
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cruises
plural
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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
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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:
The agents have access to special rates or perks through their relationships with hotels, airlines and cruise lines.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
Instead, they rebooked with the same company on a different cruise through Rome and Barcelona, where Rousseau said they enjoyed exploring ancient ruins and eating delicious food.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Japan recently tested a U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missile, and it participated in U.S.-led military exercises earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
I was a passenger on a recent Sunday pleasure cruise with a caravan of nine cars, which started in Ojai and ended at the base of Mount Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Dr. Zamborska mailed the announcement and the photo, and they were waiting at The Lovely Condominium when he returned from the cruise of the Caribbean.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Cruise ships now crowd docks in Athens, Mykonos and Santorini.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
And unless your name is Tom Cruise, those unforgettable moments are most likely brought to life by a stunt performer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Just hours before that, Beckham had become the first professional footballer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with actor Cruise once again by his side.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Cruise lines often don’t provide cash reimbursements; instead, their coverage is typically a credit toward a future cruise.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
The news of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's wedding was everywhere.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
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
Meanwhile on the Rhine, some cargo vessels have been left stranded and river cruises have been cancelled.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Some puzzles will have pieces containing real estate, others will have cruises and vacations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
By July, several cruises had been suspended as well.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Boats leave from the harbor for fishing trips and scenic cruises.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
They have used almost all of his work-related mileage points on their many trips to Europe, where they cruised down the Rhine, and across the U.S. to visit national parks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 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
Replacement Henry Pollock scored a second-half hat-trick as England cruised to victory and ended a five-Test losing streak against an ill-disciplined and disjointed Fiji in Liverpool.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Set 159 to win, Phil Salt and captain Harry Brook put on an unbroken second-wicket partnership of 144 as England cruised to their target in 13.5 overs in the fourth T20 at Bristol.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He cruised past the Pilar Cafe, the Frontier Bar, the Forest Service headquarters—and that was it.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
"We're getting a great reception on the Bann and just cruising along."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The South Americans were 2-0 up and seemingly cruising until Kylian Mbappe scored twice in a remarkable 90 seconds to take the final in Qatar to extra time.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
But as the knock-out rounds got under way, Fayer was cruising off the coast of Tuscany in a motor boat with friends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
The Dodgers erupted for a 15-3 win over the Padres in San Diego Saturday, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto cruising to a win on the mound.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Ships were still cruising full speed toward Cuba.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
