1
: the land near a shore : seashore
3
a
: a hill or slope suited to coasting
b
: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)
4
often capitalized
: the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
—used in the phrase the coast is clear
coasted; coasting; coasts
1
obsolete
: to move along or past the side of : skirt
2
: to sail along the shore of
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 ona company coasting on its good reputation
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
The cause of an oil leak that allegedly spilled over a million gallons of crude oil along the southeast coast of New Orleans is under investigation, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023
The country was also named the best place to retire in Europe in 2023, thanks to its relatively low cost of living, ease of acquiring visas, and many fantastic beaches that residents can explore up and down its magnificent coast.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Lawson-Remer’s District 3 stretches along the county coast from just north of Imperial Beach to Carlsbad.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023
Farther South The coast grows less developed and arguably wilder as one travels south.
—Kathryn Romeyn, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2023
While spending the pandemic at their home on England’s south coast, Macdonald, who grew up on the Isle of Skye, began to feel the emotional tug to return to his homeland.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
We are stuck in a void between an approaching cold front to the west and a storm off the coast, meaning chances of showers are very low.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Associated Press reporter Richard Lardner kayaks to Sweetheart Island, off the coast of Yankeetown, Fla., on Aug. 5, 2023.
—CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023
The Tesla continues on for another 40 seconds, traveling about 1,680 feet — nearly a third of a mile — before finally coasting to a stop on a grassy median.
—Irfan Uraizee, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
Having sat through all five of those losses here, the first is still most remembered because Florida scored on the opening kickoff and coasted to a 56-7 win.
—Wally Hall, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2023
After a minute-long burn of its hybrid rocket motor, SpaceShipTwo coasted to apogee and then descended back to Earth for landing on a runway at Spaceport America, near the White Sands Missile Range.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Usher is a confident, beautiful skater, coasting backward, gliding crisscross, side to side.
—Danielle Amir Jackson Malike Sidibe, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
The capsule and its launch abort system coasted up to about 55,000 feet (16.9 kilometers), then the capsule separated and released a series of parachutes, finally deploying three large main chutes to slow for splashdown around six miles (10 kilometers) off the coast.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 23 Oct. 2023
For now Netflix can coast on Suits, which has seen a weird surge in popularity on the platform in recent months, and Love Is Blind.
—WIRED, 18 Oct. 2023
Patterson Mill had its worst set in the fourth, when Bel Air jumped out to a 14-4 lead and coasted to an easy 25-13 win.
—Mike Frainie, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
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Noun
Debris has been found off the coast of Florida that is believed to belong to a missing fishing boat from Georgia that disappeared with three men onboard one month ago.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
The cause of an oil leak that allegedly spilled over a million gallons of crude oil along the southeast coast of New Orleans is under investigation, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland.
—Stepheny Price, Fox News, 21 Nov. 2023
The country was also named the best place to retire in Europe in 2023, thanks to its relatively low cost of living, ease of acquiring visas, and many fantastic beaches that residents can explore up and down its magnificent coast.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Lawson-Remer’s District 3 stretches along the county coast from just north of Imperial Beach to Carlsbad.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023
Farther South The coast grows less developed and arguably wilder as one travels south.
—Kathryn Romeyn, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2023
While spending the pandemic at their home on England’s south coast, Macdonald, who grew up on the Isle of Skye, began to feel the emotional tug to return to his homeland.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
We are stuck in a void between an approaching cold front to the west and a storm off the coast, meaning chances of showers are very low.
—David Streit, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023
Associated Press reporter Richard Lardner kayaks to Sweetheart Island, off the coast of Yankeetown, Fla., on Aug. 5, 2023.
—CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023
Verb
Thanksgiving is less a movie than a messy attempt to coast off an oldie-but-goodie one-off without adding anything to the party.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023
The Tesla continues on for another 40 seconds, traveling about 1,680 feet — nearly a third of a mile — before finally coasting to a stop on a grassy median.
—Irfan Uraizee, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
Having sat through all five of those losses here, the first is still most remembered because Florida scored on the opening kickoff and coasted to a 56-7 win.
—Wally Hall, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2023
After a minute-long burn of its hybrid rocket motor, SpaceShipTwo coasted to apogee and then descended back to Earth for landing on a runway at Spaceport America, near the White Sands Missile Range.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2023
Usher is a confident, beautiful skater, coasting backward, gliding crisscross, side to side.
—Danielle Amir Jackson Malike Sidibe, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
The capsule and its launch abort system coasted up to about 55,000 feet (16.9 kilometers), then the capsule separated and released a series of parachutes, finally deploying three large main chutes to slow for splashdown around six miles (10 kilometers) off the coast.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 23 Oct. 2023
For now Netflix can coast on Suits, which has seen a weird surge in popularity on the platform in recent months, and Love Is Blind.
—WIRED, 18 Oct. 2023
Patterson Mill had its worst set in the fourth, when Bel Air jumped out to a 14-4 lead and coasted to an easy 25-13 win.
—Mike Frainie, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cost, from Anglo-French coste, from Latin costa rib, side; akin to Old Church Slavonic kostĭ bone
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of coast was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing coast
Dictionary Entries Near coast
Cite this Entry
“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
coast
2 of 2 verb1
: 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
More from Merriam-Webster on coast
Nglish: Translation of coast for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of coast for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coast
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