Synonyms of gliding

gliding 1 of 3

adjective

as in hovering

Related Words

• hovering
• sailing
• hanging
• drifting
• wafting
• poised
• floating
• free-floating
• buoyant
• floaty
• afloat
• awash
• unsinkable

Dissimilar Words

• sinking
• sunk
• high and dry
• aground

gliding

2 of 3

noun

as in soaring

Related Words

• soaring
• ballooning
• paragliding
• skydiving
• hang gliding
• aeronautics
• flying
• aviation
• flight

gliding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of glide

1

as in flowing

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

looking for a college course that he could just glide through

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flowing
• cruising
• drifting
• sliding
• sailing
• flying
• brushing
• slipping
• rolling
• sweeping
• coasting
• racing
• bowling
• speeding
• streaming
• rushing
• skimming
• whisking
• breezing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• struggling
• floundering
• stumbling
• trudging
• shuffling
• plodding
• limping
• lumbering
• stamping
• stomping
• laboring
• tramping
• toiling
• shambling
• stumping

2

as in flying

to move through the air with or as if with outstretched wings

a kite gliding on the autumn breeze

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flying
• hovering
• floating
• sailing
• soaring
• drifting
• winging
• planing
• fluttering
• darting
• aviating
• wafting
• flitting
• coasting
• sweeping
• hanging
• cruising
• orbiting
• diving
• rocketing
• stooping
• helicoptering
• catapulting
• jetting

3

as in floating

to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air

water striders gliding along the surface of the brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hovering
• floating
• sailing
• swimming
• drifting
• riding
• hanging
• bobbing
• wafting
• dangling
• poising
• suspending
• rafting
• buoying
• ballooning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• settling
• sinking
• diving
• plunging
• lunging
• dipping
• submerging
• immersing
• submersing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gliding

Adjective

In addition, the action includes top-tier spider combat and awesome web-slinging and web-gliding traversal abilities. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026

Noun

Visitors especially enjoy paragliding and hang-gliding in the area, as well as canoeing and hiking all around the Valley. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 July 2026

And in 2022, Ristroph studied the surpassingly complex aerodynamics of what makes a good paper airplane—specifically what is needed for smooth gliding. — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026

This week, the moon will be visible gliding silently through the daytime sky from today (April 22), up until the next full moon phase on May 1. — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2026

Perfect for children’s bedrooms and play spaces, these favorably reviewed linen-blend curtains feature grommets for effortless gliding and breezy stripes in 27 colors that are equally kid- and grownup-friendly. — Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025

The team showed that this gliding persists down to –15 degree Celsius, setting a new benchmark for cellular motility in complex, nucleus-bearing organisms. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2025

Five-foot-10 and 170 pounds in his prime, Rondell was known for his daring diving, gymnastic and hang-gliding skills. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025

Verb

Powering the watch is the Spring Drive Caliber 9R65, known for its smooth gliding seconds hand and 72-hour power reserve. — Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Gliding swings use a gentle gliding motion for relaxing your baby. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

This classic button-down style is made from mulberry silk, which helps regulate your body temperature while gliding over your skin like water. — Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026

In the videos, shot by drone by Joanna Steidle, the creatures can be seen gliding just beneath the water’s surface like hundreds of raviolis floating in aquamarine broth. — Sanidhya Sharma, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026

Video from his dash camera shows the aircraft gliding under a highway sign, missing it by mere feet, before touching down in the empty lanes. — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

And there was Nacua, gliding underneath the pass and taking it to the end zone to a roar of cheers. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Videos online showed buses easily gliding through emptied lanes. — John Surico, Curbed, 24 July 2026

At Waa Kiakahi, guests are taken out on much easier, gentler rides just offshore from the beach to get a feel for gliding in a canoe. — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 22 July 2026