swim
swihm
Swim (verb) means to move through water by moving the arms, legs, fins, or tail. Example: “Do you want to swim in the lake or stay on the beach?”
verb
1
To move through water by moving the arms, legs, fins, or tail.
"Do you want to swim in the lake or stay on the beach?"
"The kids learned to swim at the local pool."
"A shoal of fish swam past the divers."
2
To feel dizzy, or to seem to spin.
"Everything seemed to swim around her as she stepped off the fairground ride."
"The room began to swim before my eyes when I stood up."
"Her head swam after standing up too quickly."
noun
1
An instance of swimming.
"A quick swim in the sea is the best way to cool off."
"She goes for a long swim every Saturday morning at the leisure centre."
"They went for a swim before breakfast."
How to use swim
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo propel yourself through water, or (less commonly) to feel dizzy; also a noun for a session of swimming.
Common pairings
go for a swim
swim laps
in the swim of things
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Word forms
- Plural
- swims
- Third person singular
- swims
- Past tense
- swam, swum
- Archaic forms
- swammest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Do you want to _____ in the lake or stay on the beach?
Etymology
From Old English swimman, "to swim or float" — an ancient Germanic verb shared, in some form, by nearly every northern European language.
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “swim” mean?
The word “swim” means to move through water by moving the arms, legs, fins, or tail. In plain terms, to propel yourself through water, or (less commonly) to feel dizzy; also a noun for a session of swimming.
How do you pronounce “swim”?
“Swim” is pronounced swihm (/swɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “swim” in a sentence?
Here is “swim” used in a sentence: “The kids learned to swim at the local pool.”
What part of speech is “swim”?
Depending on how it is used, “swim” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “swim” come from?
The word “swim” comes from Old English. From Old English swimman, "to swim or float" — an ancient Germanic verb shared, in some form, by nearly every northern European language.
Is “swim” a common word?
“Swim” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “swim” have?
“Swim” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move through water by moving the arms, legs, fins, or tail.
What is the difference between 'swim,' 'swam,' and 'swum'?
'Swim' is the present tense, 'swam' is the simple past ('she swam yesterday'), and 'swum' is the past participle used after 'have' or 'had' ('she has swum'). Mixing them up, such as saying 'she has swam,' is a common error; the participle form is 'swum.'
What is the difference between 'swim' and 'float'?
To 'swim' is to actively move through water using the arms, legs, fins, or tail. To 'float' is to rest on or near the surface without that effort, staying up because of buoyancy. Swimming involves movement, while floating can be completely still.
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