Glide
What it means
To move smoothly and continuously with little visible effort.
Reach for it when describing graceful motion across a surface, through water, or through air
The skater glided across the rink in one unbroken curve.
Words to choose between 7
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm |
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| literary |
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everyday
coast
Fits when momentum carries the movement with little effort
Careful Coast can imply declining effort and is wrong when precise control drives the motion.
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everyday
skim
Fits when movement stays lightly on or just above a surface
Careful Skim suggests brief contact or shallow coverage rather than continuous grace.
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everyday
slide
Fits when continuous contact with a surface produces the movement
Careful Slide may be uncontrolled or abrupt rather than graceful.
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warm
float
Fits when buoyancy or suspension matters more than direction
Careful Floating can be stationary and lacks glide's purposeful path.
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literary
drift
Fits when gentle motion follows current or air without a firm destination
Careful Drift removes the control that a gliding athlete or craft may show.
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literary
sail
Fits when smooth progress feels confident and expansive
Careful Sail exaggerates movement that is slow, low, or carefully constrained.
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literary
Fits when high, sustained flight is the impressive feature
Careful Soar does not fit movement along the ground or water.
Opposites 3
- stumble
- lurch
- trudge
Common phrases 3
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glide across
Swans glide across the inlet before the first ferry arrives.
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glide through
The narrow boat can glide through the reeds without disturbing them.
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glide effortlessly
She seemed to glide effortlessly through the final sequence.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated