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

• nonswimming adjective
• swimmingness noun

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

Instead, he contacted contractors he had previously used, and they said using the swimming pool surface would cost much less and be completed in a fraction of the time.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

A scene in which the singer drifts in a swimming pool finds him seeking ideas but worried “God might give them to Prince.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

But in May, Las Vegas will host the first full-scale Enhanced Games, a four-day meet in swimming, track and field, and weightlifting.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

The NHS clinical engineer said that he had never had a swimming lesson and this would be his most daunting challenge to date.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

We’ve stopped at the wagon practically every week since we started swimming together, but today Zara had to rush home to help her mom.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam