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.

---

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

See Examples For:

swimming

The peninsula is home to dozens of protected coves, which are ideal for swimming, and 67 Blue Flag beaches, a designation that is considered the gold standard for water quality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

A separate guesthouse provides another four bedrooms, while the resortlike grounds offer a host of high-end amenities, including a tennis court, swimming pool, gym, wine cellar, private beach, docks, and boathouse.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

"As children, we used to spend all our summers swimming at the beach, having fun by the water, diving, jumping in and sometimes even fishing," the 76-year-old told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Lee's message to anyone thinking of swimming in open water is "don't do it because it is so dangerous".

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

I continued my swimming excursions, going farther from the island each time.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo