motorboat

1 of 2

noun

mo·​tor·​boat ˈmō-tər-ˌbōt 

plural motorboats

: a boat propelled usually by an internal combustion engine

motorboater

ˈmō-tər-ˌbō-tər 

noun

motorboating

ˈmō-tər-ˌbō-tiŋ 

noun

motorboat

2 of 2

verb

motorboated; motorboating; motorboats

1

intransitive : to travel by motorboat

… I motorboated to the island and scrambled onto the rocks.

—Joe Nickell

2

transitive informal + somewhat impolite : to shake one's head rapidly from side to side between the breasts of (someone) while imitating the sound of a motorboat

Synonyms of motorboat

Noun

• speedboat
• powerboat
• cruiser

Examples of motorboat in a Sentence

Noun

motorboats are banned on the lake because they are a hazard to swimmers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The prologue starts in 1986 in Newfoundland with a family relocating, uprooting their lives in the most all-encompassing of ways, taking their entire home — propped up on a barge and steered by a lone motorboat — across a bay. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

The journey from the airport by sleek wooden motorboat must be one of the most spectacular transfers in the world. — Mary Holland, Robb Report, 8 Oct. 2026

Edge faces three counts of first-degree murder, among other charges, after he was accused of piloting a motorboat up to a waterfront bar in Southport in September 2025 and opening fire on patrons. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026

With little more than a motorboat and a West Virginia pond, Giuliano and his cast managed to deliver a uniquely chilling slasher. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1890, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for motorboat

• anecdote
• antidote
• asymptote
• creosote
• dimethoate
• epidote
• ferryboat
• overcoat
• petticoat
• riverboat
• undercoat
• underwrote

Kids Definition

motorboat

noun

mo·​tor·​boat -ˌbōt 

: a boat driven by a motor