Swim Swam Swimming Swɪm I Verb Boys Lake

• i can't swim.
• the boys swam across the lake.
• we swam out (= away from land) to the yacht.
• they spent the day swimming and sunbathing.

swim

Verb Forms

1. to move through water by moving your arms and legs, without touching the bottom
• I can't swim.
• The boys swam across the lake.
• We swam out (= away from land) to the yacht.
• They spent the day swimming and sunbathing.
• I've only just learned to swim.
• I have always found it easy to swim underwater.
• They are too far out to swim to shore.
• Can you swim backstroke yet?
• How long will it take her to swim the Channel?

Extra Examples

• Exhausted, they swam ashore.
• He can't swim well.
• to swim in the sea
2. to spend time swimming for pleasure
• I go swimming twice a week.
• We always went swimming together in our indoor pool.
3. to move through or across water
• Sharks must swim or die.
• A shoal of fish swam past.
• Ducks were swimming around on the river.
• A beaver swam vigorously upstream.
4. to be covered with a lot of liquid
• The main course was swimming in oil.
• Her eyes were swimming with tears.
5. to seem to be moving around, especially when you are ill or drunk
• The pages swam before her eyes.
6. to feel confused and/or as if everything is turning round and round
• His head swam and he swayed dizzily.
7. to be in a situation where you will either succeed by your own efforts or fail completely
• The new students were just left to sink or swim.
• In a situation like this, you either sink or swim.

Word Origin

• Old English swimman (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwemmen and German schwimmen.