swim

American  

[swim] / swɪm /

verb (used without object)

• swims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swam,
  past
• swum,
  past participle
• swimming
  present participle

1. to move in water by movements of the limbs, fins, tail, etc.

2. to float on the surface of water or some other liquid.

3. to move, rest, or be suspended in air as if swimming in water.

4. to move, glide, or go smoothly over a surface.

5. to be immersed or steeped in or overflowing or flooded with a liquid.

   eyes swimming with tears.

6. to be dizzy or giddy; seem to whirl.

   My head began to swim.

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verb (used with object)

• swims,
  present (3rd person singular)
• swam,
  past
• swum,
  past participle
• swimming
  present participle

1. to move along in or cross (a body of water) by swimming.

   to swim a lake.

2. to perform (a particular stroke) in swimming.

   to swim a sidestroke.

3. to cause to swim or float, as on a stream.

4. to furnish with sufficient water to swim or float.

noun

• swims
  plural

1. an act, instance, or period of swimming.

2. a motion as of swimming; a smooth, gliding movement.

idioms

1. in the swim, alert to or actively engaged in events; in the thick of things.

   Despite her age, she is still in the swim.

swim British  

/ swɪm /

verb

1. (intr) to move along in water, etc, by means of movements of the body or parts of the body, esp the arms and legs, or (in the case of fish) tail and fins

2. (tr) to cover (a distance or stretch of water) in this way

3. (tr) to compete in (a race) in this way

4. (intr) to be supported by and on a liquid; float

5. (tr) to use (a particular stroke) in swimming

6. (intr) to move smoothly, usually through air or over a surface

7. (intr) to reel or seem to reel

   my head swam

   the room swam around me

8. (intr; often foll by in or with) to be covered or flooded with water or other liquid

9. to be liberally supplied (with)

   he's swimming in money

10. (tr) to cause to float or swim

11. (tr) to provide (something) with water deep enough to float in

12. to resist prevailing opinion

13. to conform to prevailing opinion

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noun

1. the act, an instance, or period of swimming

2. any graceful gliding motion

3. a condition of dizziness; swoon

4. a pool in a river good for fishing

5. informal fashionable or active in social or political activities

swim More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing swim

• in the swim
• sink or swim

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonswimmer
  noun
• swimmer
  noun
• swimming
  noun
• outswim
  verb
• swimmable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• swims
  plural

Participles

• swimming
  present
• swum
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• swim
  simple
• swims
  simple
• have swum
  perfect
• has swum
  perfect
• am swimming
  progressive
• are swimming
  progressive
• is swimming
  progressive
• have been swimming
  perfect progressive
• has been swimming
  perfect progressive

Past

• swam
  simple
• had swum
  perfect
• was swimming
  progressive
• were swimming
  progressive
• had been swimming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will swim
  simple
• will have swum
  perfect
• will be swimming
  progressive
• will have been swimming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of swim

First recorded before 900; Middle English swimmen, Old English swimman; cognate with Dutch zwemmen, German schwimmen, Old Norse svimma

Explanation

When you move yourself through the water using your arms and legs, you swim. If you live near the ocean, it's probably a good idea to learn how to swim. You might decide to swim across the English Channel, or, if you're a little less adventurous, just swim in your town's swimming pool. When things appear to be submerged as if underwater, they swim too: "I like it when the mashed potatoes swim in gravy." And when something appears fuzzy or whirling, it also seems to swim: "I was so tired the equations on the chalkboard began to swim." The root of swim means "to be in motion."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

swim swims swam swum swimming

“And I’m actually used to the cold experience. My dad taught me to swim in cold water. That’s who I am.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

The result is especially notable because sharks lack the gas filled swim bladder found in many bony fish.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Spirostomum ambiguum is a giant single-celled ciliate, named for the fringe of hairlike cilia it uses to swim.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

"I just get in the water, film and swim."

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

“It’s okay. Tight squeeze back here. Great swim today.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Nana the seal swims 200km back to island after missing humans.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026

It’s somewhat of an idyllic place where the seashore is lined with wooden houses; sheep graze along the grassy cliffsides and residents wander around the shops in bathrobes and clogs, right after their morning swims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

There are hikes and swims in a pristine lake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

It has had a devastating effect on Helen, from Penrhyn-coch near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, who went from enjoying sea swims and daily dog walks to "struggling to make new memories", according to daughter Jane Richards.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026

I film Phil as he swims, capturing his grace, how his smooth strokes barely ripple the surface.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

She swam across a river into China at night with a smuggler's help, and travelled through Laos, Vietnam and Thailand before finally flying to South Korea.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Most swam around a border fence and at least 100 people died during the crossing, according to figures from Ceuta's mayor.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

During the attack, the woman swam toward a rock to get away from the animal, but she said the otter climbed onto the rock and continued to strike her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

She swam a few more strokes, then felt something in the water, and turned around to see it slowly approaching.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

Images flashed through Jonathan’s mind as he swam.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

He has swum against the tide and now he is very much in the train of modern football, and at the front.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Early on Saturday, Spanish officials said they began installing a makeshift, inflatable barrier that extends out some 500 yards from a breakwater where some of the migrants had swum into the enclave.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026

"It turned onto its back and they thought that it was dead. But by the time we went back, it was back onto its right side and it had swum a bit upstream," he explained.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

An affidavit from Ghost tendered in court on Tuesday described how she and MacInnes had swum at the beach in the early evening of September 2023, returning to her apartment feeling cold.

From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026

They had stayed in motels, slept whole families to a single room, swum in pools that could be seen from the road.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

There was a "luxury car parking area" on the grounds, according to ombudsman official Syafrida Rachmawati Rasahan, as well as a swimming pool and a gym.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Its anatomy shows that it was already highly specialized for swimming.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026

The swimming pool retailer is expected to hand control to its lenders after struggling under a heavy debt load and declining sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

They also don’t have as clear a picture on things like the progress on plans to install a running track at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and swimming pools inside SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The swimming incident, that was in September of 1937.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• bathe
• crawl
• dive
• float
• glide
• paddle
• submerge
• wade