Synonyms of sailing

sailing 1 of 2

adjective

as in hovering

Related Words

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

Dissimilar Words

• sinking
• sunk
• high and dry
• aground

sailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sail

1

as in cruising

to travel on water in a vessel

I can't sail when there's any breeze at all because I get seasick easily

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cruising
• boating
• ferrying
• navigating
• voyaging
• kayaking
• shipping (out)
• coasting
• canoeing
• yachting
• making sail
• taking ship

2

as in flowing

to move or proceed smoothly and readily

sailed through the latest assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

3

as in floating

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

a leaf sailed by, carried by the breeze

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sailing

Verb

Offensive notes Tommy DeVito settled in nicely after sailing some early throws. — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026

That comment followed news that the USS George Washington is now sailing to the Middle East and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which has been at sea for some 250 days and not had a port call for more than 200. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026

The incident took place earlier this month when a vessel was sailing in a fjord in northeastern Svalbard, around 620 miles from the North Pole. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Soon, Repkon’s flow-forming machines were sailing across the Atlantic, heading eventually for Mesquite. — Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 12 Aug. 2026

For one thing, sailing on one means sailing on a piece of Indonesian history. — Annie Daly, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026

While Homer followed warriors sailing home from Troy, the playwright Euripides — writing some three centuries later — turned to the city’s ruins and its women, forced into exile and enslavement. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

The quarterback’s touch seemed off, with several passes sailing over the reach of his targets. — Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026

With three yachts now sailing and more luxury brands joining the fleet, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is driving a major shift in luxury cruising. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026