coast

noun

The edge of the land where it meets an ocean, sea, gulf, bay, or large lake.

A region of British Columbia, Canada.

(obsolete) The side or edge of something.

(obsolete) A region of land; a district or country.

(obsolete) A region of the air or heavens.

verb

(intransitive) To glide along without adding energy; to allow a vehicle to continue moving forward after disengaging the engine or ceasing to apply motive power.

(intransitive, nautical) To sail along a coast.

(intransitive, figurative) To make a minimal effort; to continue to do something in a routine way, without initiative or effort.

(US, Canada, dialect) To slide downhill; to slide on a sled upon snow or ice.

(intransitive, obsolete) To draw near to; to approach; to keep near, or by the side of.

(transitive, obsolete) To sail by or near; to follow the coastline of.

(transitive, obsolete) To conduct along a coast or river bank.

Roots

costacoast- · Latin · rib, side

Synonyms for coast

seashoren seacoastn coastlinen seaboardn shoren seasiden shorelinen littoraln plagen foreshoren tidewatern

Synonyms & related words for coast

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of coast — including seashore, seacoast, coastline, seaboard, shore, seaside. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to coast

Explore words related to coast — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include coastward, alongshore, coastwise, coastal, rivage, coastlands, shoreward, beaches. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for coast

Common synonyms for coast include seashore, seacoast, coastline, seaboard, shore, seaside, shoreline, littoral — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does coast come from?

The word coast breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root coast-, from Latin costa (“rib, side”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.