coast
gb/kˈoʊst/ us/kˈoʊst/
A2
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
land next to the sea
The land that is next to the sea or ocean.
Usage pattern:
[the/a] coast of [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'coast' with 'beach'; 'coast' is the whole stretch of land along the sea, not just the sandy part.
Synonyms
shore (Often refers to the edge of any body of water, not only seas or oceans.)
|
seaside (More informal and often used for vacation or leisure contexts.)
Antonyms
inland (Refers to areas away from the sea or ocean.)
Collocations
rocky coast
|coastal town
|coast road
|west coast
|along the coast
Themes
geography
|travel
|nature
Examples
- We drove along the coast for hours.
- The storm caused damage to the east coast.
- Fishing is an important industry on this coast.
- Many tourists visit the southern coast every summer.
Learner examples
- I live near the coast.
- The coast is very beautiful here.
- We walked along the coast.
- The city is on the coast.
Verb
B1
action
2
move without using power
To move without using power, going forward because of momentum.
Usage pattern:
to coast [down/along] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'coast' with 'cruise'; 'coast' means moving without power, while 'cruise' often means moving steadily with power.
Synonyms
glide (Emphasizes smooth and graceful motion, often in air or water.)
Antonyms
accelerate (Means to increase speed actively, opposite of moving passively.)
Collocations
coast downhill
|coast along
|coast to a stop
Themes
transportation
|sports
|daily_life
Examples
- He put the car in neutral and coasted down the hill.
- The bicycle coasted along the path with no pedaling.
- We coasted to a stop at the traffic light.
Learner examples
- The car coasted down the hill.
- I coasted on my bike.
- The boat coasted into the harbor.
Verb
informal
B2
action
3
succeed without much effort
To do something easily without working hard.
Usage pattern:
to coast through [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this meaning in formal contexts where it sounds too casual or dismissive.
Synonyms
sail through (Informal; suggests ease and lack of difficulty, similar to 'coast through'.)
Antonyms
struggle (Means to have difficulty doing something, opposite of doing it easily.)
Collocations
coast through a test
|coast to victory
Themes
daily life
|work
|business
Examples
- She coasted through her exams without studying much.
- The team coasted to victory in the final game.
- He coasted through his first year at university.
Learner examples
- He coasted through the test.
- We coasted to an easy win.
- She coasted through the interview.
Grammar
Dictionary form
coast
IPA
GB/kˈoʊst/
US/kˈoʊst/
Syllables & stress
coast (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (coast)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: coast
- Plural: coasts
Verb
- Base: coast
- 3rd Person Singular: coasts
- Present Participle: coasting
- Past: coasted
Word family
Expressions
coast along
1/kˈoʊst əlˈɔŋ/
phrasal verb
continue slowly and easily
To keep moving or making progress without much effort.
Examples
- He was just coasting along at work, not trying for a promotion.
- They coasted along on their bikes until sunset.
coast to victory
1/kˈoʊst tə vˈɪktɚi/
fixed phrase
win without much effort
To win something in an easy way with little effort.
Examples
- The team coasted to victory after scoring three quick goals.
- She coasted to victory in the election.
the coast is clear
1/ðə kˈoʊst ˈɪz klˈɪɹ/
idiom
informal
no danger present now
It is safe to do something because nobody is watching or there is no danger.
Examples
- Wait until the coast is clear before you leave.
- I think the coast is clear—let's go now.