English Reference

Word

cruise

US/ˈkɹuz/

UK/kɹˈuːz/

Definitions

01holiday on a ship

B1

n. a holiday spent on a large ship that visits several different places.

n. a sea voyage for pleasure, typically calling at several ports as a vacation.

“They saved up for a two-week cruise around the Mediterranean islands.”

“The luxury cruise offered passengers an all-inclusive experience, featuring nightly entertainment and guided excursions at every port of call.”

Synonyms

voyageboat trip

02steady travel phase

B2

n. the part of a flight or journey where the vehicle moves at a steady speed.

n. the portion of a journey, especially in aviation, conducted at a constant airspeed and altitude.

“Once the plane reached its cruise altitude, the flight attendants began serving drinks.”

“The pilot maintained a steady cruise for three hours before air traffic control requested a gradual descent into the busy terminal area.”

Technical

Synonyms

Antonyms

03to travel steadily

B1

v. to travel at a steady, efficient speed without stopping.

v. to move at a constant speed for maximum operating efficiency or comfort.

“We spent the afternoon cruising down the highway with the windows open.”

“The hybrid vehicle is designed to cruise silently at low speeds, switching to the petrol engine only when rapid acceleration is required.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

04to win easily

B2 · Sport

v. to win a game or race very easily and without much effort.

v. to achieve a victory with little effort or opposition.

“The team cruised to a four-zero victory in the final match.”

“Despite the early pressure from the challengers, the defending champion cruised to his fifth consecutive title without dropping a single set.”

Informal

Synonyms

Antonyms

05to look for a partner

C1

v. to walk or drive around a place looking for a romantic or sexual partner.

v. to move about a public area actively seeking a casual sexual or romantic partner.

“In the past, people would cruise this street on Friday nights to meet new people.”

“The park was historically known as a spot where locals would cruise for companionship after the nearby clubs had closed for the night.”

Informal

Usage

Often used as an intransitive verb in the context of nightlife or specific social districts.

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“That summer, the couple cancelled a cruise that was due to depart from New York City and go through the Panama canal.”
BBC News · 14 Aug 2026
“Eco-taxes were also increased to €6 per night in summer up from €4 and for cruise passengers it rose from €2 to € 6 in the high season.”
The Local · 20 Aug 2026

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch kruisen (“cross, sail around”), from kruis (“cross”), from Middle Dutch cruce, from Latin crux.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

cruise missiles

Word family

cruiseNouncruiserNoun

Domains

MilitarySports

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/cruise

English Reference