noun
Common
exploring
Exploring (noun) means the act of traveling through or investigating something unfamiliar. Example: “Our exploring of the old caves took the whole afternoon.”
noun
1
The act of traveling through or investigating something unfamiliar.
"Our exploring of the old caves took the whole afternoon."
"Exploring the forest with a map and a compass felt like a real adventure."
"Exploring new cities is one of her favorite hobbies."
How to use exploring
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe -ing form of "explore," used as a noun for the activity of discovering something.
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Word forms
- Plural
- explorings
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Our _____ of the old caves took the whole afternoon.
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Rhymes for exploring
See all rhymes for exploring →Frequently asked questions
What does “exploring” mean?
The word “exploring” means the act of traveling through or investigating something unfamiliar. In plain terms, the -ing form of "explore," used as a noun for the activity of discovering something.
How do you use “exploring” in a sentence?
Here is “exploring” used in a sentence: “Exploring new cities is one of her favorite hobbies.”
What part of speech is “exploring”?
“Exploring” is a noun.
Is “exploring” a common word?
“Exploring” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between exploring and exploration?
Both are nouns naming the act of traveling through or investigating something unfamiliar. Exploration is the standard abstract noun and appears in fixed phrases such as "space exploration," while exploring is the gerund and sounds more informal and activity-focused, as in "I love exploring." In everyday speech the two are often interchangeable.
When is exploring a noun rather than a verb?
Exploring works as a noun (a gerund) when it names the activity itself, as in "Exploring is her favorite pastime." When it describes an action in progress after a subject and auxiliary verb, as in "They are exploring the coast," it is the present participle of the verb explore.
Is it correct to say "exploring about" something?
No. Explore takes a direct object, so the correct forms are "exploring the city" or "exploring new ideas," not "exploring about the city." The mistake usually comes from analogy with verbs like "learn about" and "read about," which do take the preposition about.
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