WordGarden.ioswim
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /swˈɪm/
US
- /ˈswɪm/
Meanings
Verb
to move through water using the body
to feel dizzy or have blurred, unsteady vision
Noun
an act or session of swimming, often for exercise or sport
Beyond the definition
To swim is more than just splashing around. It means moving through water by using your arms, legs, and body to stay up and go forward. People are not built for it in the same easy way fish are, so it usually takes practice. You might swim laps for exercise, spend time in the ocean on vacation, or learn this skill for safety.
But "swim" is not always about actual water. We also use it in a figurative way. If someone is "swimming in debt," they have a lot of it. If your head is "swimming" with ideas, thoughts, or confusion, you feel overwhelmed, as if too much is filling your mind at once.
The word "swim" primarily refers to moving through water by using the body in a controlled way, usually with the arms and legs working together. It is an important skill for fun, exercise, sport, and safety. A person might swim in a pool, lake, river, or sea. Some people do it for pleasure, some for fitness, and some in competition. Common strokes include freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly, each with its own movement pattern and rhythm.
However, "swim" also extends beyond the literal act of moving through water. We often use it metaphorically to show that someone is surrounded by, full of, or struggling with something. If you are "swimming against the tide," you are pushing against a strong force or against what most people are doing. If someone is "swimming in money," they have a great deal of it. A dizzy feeling can also be described by saying that your head is "swimming."
Historically, the word swim comes from Old English roots connected to floating and moving through water. It has long been part of human life and language, appearing in stories, literature, and everyday speech.
So whether you are moving across a pool or feeling lost in a flood of thoughts, "swim" can describe both real movement in water and the feeling of being deeply surrounded by something.
Examples
- 1
Childhood skill
I learned to swim when I was six.
- 2
Exercise routine
She swims every morning before work.
- 3
Leisure activity
We went for a swim in the lake after lunch.
- Phrasego for a swim
swim for pleasure or exercise
- 4
Crossing water
He swam across the river in less than ten minutes.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Beach rule
You're not allowed to swim in this area of the beach.
- 6
Animal experience
The kids were excited to swim with dolphins on vacation.
- 7
Too many messages
After the product launch, the support team was swimming in emails.
- Phrasebe swimming in something
have a lot of it
- 8
Visual dizziness
After staring at the screen all day, the words began to swim.
- 9
Physical reaction
My head was still swimming after I got off the ride.
- Phraseyour head is swimming
you feel dizzy and confused
- 10
Workplace dissent
It can feel lonely to swim against the tide at work.
- Phraseswim against the tide
go against what most people are doing or thinking
See also
Forms and spellings
5 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- swimnounverb
Forms
- swimming-ing formverbnoun
- swampast tenseverbnoun
- swimspluralnounverb
- swumpast participleverbnoun