coast

1 of 2

noun

ˈkōst 

1

: the land near a shore : seashore

2

obsolete : border, frontier

3

a

: a hill or slope suited to coasting

b

: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)

4

or Coast : the Pacific coast of the U.S.

5

: the immediate area of view

—used in the phrase the coast is clear

coastal

ˈkō-stᵊl 

adjective

coastwise

ˈkōst-ˌwīz 

adverb or adjective

see also:

from coast to coast

coast

2 of 2

verb

coasted; coasting; coasts

transitive verb

1

obsolete : to move along or past the side of : skirt

2

: to sail along the shore of

intransitive verb

1

a

archaic : to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something

b

: to sail along the shore

2

a

: to slide, run, or glide downhill by the force of gravity

b

: to move along without or as if without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)

c

: to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern

coasted through school

—often used with on

a company coasting on its good reputation

Synonyms of coast

Verb

• flow
• sail
• drift
• cruise
• glide

Examples of coast in a Sentence

Noun

He lives on the coast.

He's flying out to the Coast tomorrow.

Verb

The car coasted to a stop.

The airplane coasted down the runway.

The children coasted on sleds down the snowy hill.

They came coasting down the hill on bicycles.

After taking a big lead, the team coasted to victory.

He was accused of trying to coast through school.

She decided she could coast along without a job for the next few months.

The company is coasting on its good reputation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Myrtle warblers in the northeast are known to winter along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but where northwestern populations migrate has been more of a mystery. — Stephanie Szarmach, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026

From south to north, dew points and atmospheric moisture will rise in tandem, brining unusual humidity to nearly the entire California coast. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Verb

The second stage was expected to coast halfway around the world before reigniting to circularize its orbit at an altitude of about 300 miles (500 kilometers). — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026

The underwater vehicle was coasting about six feet above the ocean floor, two miles deep, when a pinkish, mysterious creature swam into its camera’s sights, drawing gasps in the research vessel floating at the surface. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cost, from Anglo-French coste, from Latin costa rib, side; akin to Old Church Slavic kostĭ bone

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Phrases Containing coast

• coast guard
• coast redwood
• coast-to-coast
• from coast to coast
• gold coast
• master chief petty officer of the coast guard
• the coast is clear

Rhymes for coast

• boast
• doest
• dosed
• ghost
• grossed
• host
• most
• moste
• roast
• toast
• almost
• engrossed

Kids Definition

coast

1 of 2 noun

ˈkōst 

1

: the land near a shore : seashore

2

: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)

3

: the present area in view

the coast is clear

coastal

ˈkōst-ᵊl 

adjective

coast

2 of 2 verb

1

: to sail along the shore of

2

a

: to slide downhill by the force of gravity

b

: to move along (as on a bicycle when not pedaling) without applying power

3

: to succeed without special effort

coasted through school