swim
swim
Pronunciation
swɪm:
/s/ (voiceless alveolar sibilant)
/w/ (voiced labial-velar approximant)
/ɪ/ (near-close near-front unrounded vowel)
/m/ (voiced bilabial nasal)
Word Form Variations
Verb:
Base form: swim
Third-person singular present: swims
Present participle: swimming
Past simple: swam
Past participle: swum
Noun:
Singular: swim
Plural: swims
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
To propel oneself through water using the limbs or body.
Synonyms: float, paddle, glide, dog-paddle
Antonyms: sink, drown (involuntarily)
To be covered or saturated with a liquid; to be immersed.
Synonyms: wallow, drench, soak, saturate
Antonyms: dry, dehydrate, drain
To experience a dizzy, unsteady, or disoriented sensation.
Synonyms: reel, spin, whirl, dizzy
Antonyms: steady, clear, stable
Noun
An act or period of swimming.
Synonyms: dip, bathe, plunge, frolic (in water)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for the act itself, but one might consider "dry spell" or "land activity" in a broader context.)
A current or direction of movement in water.
Synonyms: flow, drift, current, tide
Antonyms: stillness, stagnation, immobility
Examples of Use
Books:
"She taught herself to swim in the murky waters of the creek behind their house, a skill that would later save her life." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, August 2018)
"The children would often go for a swim in the lake during the hot summer afternoons." (From Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, June 1908)
Newspapers:
"Local authorities issued a warning yesterday, advising residents not to swim in the polluted river after recent chemical spills." ( The Daily Nation)
"The Olympic gold medalist is set to make a comeback, hoping to swim her way to victory in the upcoming international competition." (The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"Tips for beginner triathletes: How to improve your open-water swim technique." (Triathlon.org)
"Researchers are studying how certain fish swim against strong ocean currents to understand their migratory patterns." (National Geographic online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: (Dialogue) "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming." ( Finding Nemo, May 2003)
Television Series: "In the latest episode, the contestants had to swim across a freezing lake as part of a survival challenge." (Survivor, January 2025)
Song Lyrics: "I wanna swim in your ocean, I wanna drown in your love." (From "Ocean Eyes" by Billie Eilish, November 2016)
Video Game: (In-game instruction) "Press 'A' to swim underwater and explore the sunken ruins." (Subnautica, January 2018)
General Public Discourse:
"After a long day, all I want to do is go for a refreshing swim." (Casual conversation)
"My head started to swim when I stood up too quickly." (Describing a physical sensation)
"We're going to the beach this weekend; do you want to come for a swim?" (Invitation)
"He's learning to swim freestyle, and he's really improving quickly." (Discussing a skill)
10 Quotes Using Swim
"If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn't swim." (Margaret Thatcher)
"To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown." (Alan Watts)
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." (Thomas Jefferson)
"If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read: 'President Can't Swim.'" (Lyndon B. Johnson)
"Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream." (W. C. Fields)
"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." (Jonathan Winters)
"People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow knows how to swim." (Ann Landers)
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim." (Edsger Dijkstra)
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Just keep swimming." (Dory, Finding Nemo)
Etymology
The word "swim" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots back through Old English and beyond.
At its core, "swim" comes from the Old English word "swīmman." This word already meant "to move about in water" or "to float."
Going even further back, "swīmman" is related to a much older Proto-Germanic word, something like "swemman." This ancient ancestor also carried the meaning of moving through water.
And if we go back to the very early roots of many European languages, there's a Proto-Indo-European root that sounds like "swem-" or "sweH-," which generally referred to something moving or being active, especially in water.
So, the first known use and meaning of "swim" are pretty much what we understand today: propelling oneself through water or floating on it. The word has been used in this sense for well over a thousand years, dating back to at least the Old English period (roughly 5th to 12th centuries AD). It's a very stable word in the English language, with its core meaning remaining consistent through centuries of change.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Swim
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "swim":
Swim against the tide/current: To go against popular opinion or the prevailing trend.
Swim with the fishes: (Slang, often euphemistic) To be dead, especially by being drowned and thrown into a body of water.
In the swim (of things): Actively involved in or aware of current events or activities.
Sink or swim: To succeed or fail entirely by one's own efforts, with no help.
Make someone's head swim: To make someone feel dizzy, confused, or overwhelmed.
Swim in money: To have a lot of money; to be very wealthy.
Swim through treacle: To make slow, difficult progress, as if moving through something thick.
Swim for it: To attempt to escape or reach safety by swimming.
Swim through life: To navigate through one's life's challenges and experiences.
Go for a swim: To take part in the activity of swimming.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of swim from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
