slalom

1 of 2

noun

sla·​lom ˈslä-ləm 

often attributive

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright obstacles (such as flags)

2

: a timed race (as on skis or in an automobile or kayak) over a winding or zigzag course past a series of flags or markers

broadly : movement over a zigzag route

slalom

2 of 2

verb

slalomed; slaloming; slaloms

intransitive verb

: to move over a zigzag course in or as if in a slalom

Synonyms of slalom

Verb

• weave
• duck

Examples of slalom in a Sentence

Verb

slalomed through the crowd with the ease of an Olympic skier

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now viewed as the greatest Alpine skier of all time, Shiffrin announced herself to the world at the 2014 Games in Sochi by winning gold in the slalom as an 18-year-old. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2026

For instance, the United States won both gold medals in skeleton when the discipline was resurrected (after a half-century hiatus) in Salt Lake City in 2002, and Russia won gold in men’s parallel slalom in that snowboarding event’s first iteration in 2014. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 20 Feb. 2026

Verb

Competitors then take the skins off their skis before slaloming down the descent to the finish line. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026

That made Wednesday’s slalom her final chance to reach the podium. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Norwegian slalåm, literally, sloping track

First Known Use

Noun

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing slalom

• giant slalom

Rhymes for slalom

• collum
• column
• sholom
• solemn

Kids Definition

slalom

noun

sla·​lom

ˈsläl-əm

1

: skiing in a zigzag or wavy course between upright poles

2

: a timed skiing race over such a course