# swim

/ˈswɪm/ (US) · /swˈɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/swim
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to move in water

verb · CEFR A1

to move through water by moving your arms and legs.

For teachers: to propel oneself through water by means of bodily movement. Intransitive or transitive when taking a distance or stroke as an object.

- We like to swim in the ocean during the summer holidays.
- The athlete managed to swim the entire length of the channel despite the freezing temperatures and strong currents.

### 2. to be dizzy

verb · CEFR B2

to feel dizzy or like everything is spinning around you.

For teachers: to experience a sensation of dizziness or vertigo, often as a result of illness or shock.

- The room started to swim after I stood up too quickly.
- His head began to swim as he looked down from the edge of the skyscraper, overwhelmed by a sudden bout of vertigo.

### 3. to be covered in liquid

verb · CEFR B2

to be covered or filled with a lot of liquid.

For teachers: to be immersed in or overflowing with a liquid; often used figuratively to describe abundance.

- The pasta was swimming in a rich tomato sauce.
- The small village was swimming in floodwater after the river burst its banks during the storm.

### 4. an act of swimming

noun · CEFR A2

a period of time spent swimming for fun or exercise.

For teachers: an instance or duration of swimming, typically for recreation or fitness.

- A quick swim in the morning always makes me feel awake.
- After a long day of hiking, the cool water of the lake provided a refreshing swim for the exhausted group.

## Examples

- I usually go for a swim before work.
- After a long day of hiking in the heat, a quick swim in the lake felt incredibly refreshing.
- The athlete completed a rigorous morning swim to build endurance before transitioning to the cycling portion of her triathlon training schedule.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.