ENGLISH
REFERENCE

swimming

n.
US //ˈswɪmɪŋ// UK //swˈɪmɪŋ// swim·ming
  1. 1 the activity or sport (n.)
    A1 Beginner Sport

    the activity or sport of moving through water.

    the act or art of sustaining and propelling the body in water, often for recreation or competition.

    Example

    Swimming is a great way to stay fit and cool during the summer.

    Example

    The local council invested in the new leisure centre to encourage swimming among the youth population.

    Usage

    Often functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the sport in general.
    • aquatics
    Pitfall
    I am going to swimming this afternoon.
    I am going swimming this afternoon.

    When using 'go' with sports ending in -ing, do not use 'to'.

  2. 2 dizziness (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Archaic Medicine

    a feeling that everything is spinning around you.

    a state of dizziness or vertigo, often used in the phrase 'a swimming in the head'.

    Example

    He felt a strange swimming in his head after standing up too quickly.

    Example

    The patient complained of a persistent swimming in the head, which the physician attributed to a minor inner-ear infection.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is rare in modern conversation; learners will almost always encounter 'dizzy' or 'dizziness' instead.
Etymology 1

From Middle English swymmynge. Equivalent to swim (“to move through water”, verb) + -ing (suffix forming gerunds).

Etymology 2

From swim (“to be dizzy”, verb) + -ing (suffix forming gerunds).

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

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

Last updated June 19, 2026