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

often 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

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

Phrases

from coast to coast

: across an entire nation or continent

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

Beauty and danger at Big Sur Known for its picturesque views, rugged coastline and dangerous surf, the Big Sur region is located about 150 miles south of San Francisco on the California coast. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2025

The ship anchored at Puerto La Cruz, a port city on the South American country's northeastern coast, according to global shipping news outlets. —MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Verb

As Mitchell adjusted, Hughes fell, Mitchell caught it and then coasted past the goal line for a touchdown. —Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025

Crack a coconut and sink into the sand, or cruise the island coast to coast in just 25 minutes. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025

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
• 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