ENGLISH
REFERENCE

swimming

n. uncountable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈswɪmɪŋ// UK //swˈɪmɪŋ// swim·ming General-service

n. the activity or sport of moving through water using your arms and legs. You can do this for fun, for exercise, or in a race.

n. the act or sport of propelling oneself through water by bodily movement. Often functions as a gerund to describe the physical activity or the competitive discipline.


SIMPLE

I go swimming every Saturday morning at the local pool.

CONTEXTUAL

Swimming is an excellent low-impact exercise because the water supports your body weight while you move.

COMPLEX

The coach emphasized that competitive swimming requires not only cardiovascular endurance but also a refined technical mastery of stroke mechanics and breathing patterns.

Synonyms
Antonyms
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.

Usage

Typically uncountable when referring to the activity in general; often follows the verb 'go'.

Pitfall

I am going to swimmingI am going swimmingWhen using 'go' to describe an activity, do not use the preposition 'to' before the -ing form.

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