# wading

/ˈweɪdɪŋ/ (US) · /wˈeɪdɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wading
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

to walk through water or another thick substance that makes it hard to move. You use this when the water is not deep enough for swimming but deep enough to slow you down.

For teachers: to walk with effort through water, mud, or any substance that offers resistance to movement. Often used metaphorically to describe progressing through a large amount of tedious information or difficult tasks.

## Examples

- We spent the afternoon wading through the shallow stream.
- The researchers spent weeks wading through thousands of pages of old court records to find the evidence.
- After the heavy rains, the villagers were forced to spend hours wading through knee-deep mud to reach the supply trucks parked on the main road.

## Pitfalls

- Not "wading the river" but "wading through the river" — When describing the act of crossing a body of water or a pile of documents, 'through' is typically required.

## Usage notes

- Often takes the preposition 'through' when describing the substance being crossed.

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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.