swimmer
gb/swˈɪmɚ/ us/swˈɪmɚ/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
role
1
person who can swim
A person who swims.
Usage pattern:
[a/an] [good/strong/poor] swimmer
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse swimmer (a person) with swimsuit (clothing) or swimming (the activity).
Synonyms
bather (Often suggests leisure swimming, especially in the sea.)
Antonyms
non-swimmer (Someone who cannot swim.)
Collocations
a strong swimmer
|a good swimmer
|a poor swimmer
|a confident swimmer
|a weak swimmer
|a beginner swimmer
|an experienced swimmer
|a keen swimmer
|a young swimmer
|a non-swimmer
Themes
sports
|daily_life
|water_safety
Examples
- She’s a strong swimmer, but she still wears a life jacket when kayaking.
- The class is designed for beginner swimmers.
- If you’re not a confident swimmer, stay in the shallow end.
Learner examples
- My brother is a good swimmer.
- I am not a strong swimmer.
Noun
B1
role
2
competitive swimming athlete
A person who swims in races and competitions.
Usage pattern:
[a/an] [competitive/professional/Olympic] swimmer
Common mistake:
In sports contexts, swimmer usually implies an athlete, not just someone who can swim.
Synonyms
swimming athlete (More explicit about sport; less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
recreational swimmer (Someone who swims for fun or exercise, not for competition.)
Collocations
a competitive swimmer
|a professional swimmer
|an Olympic swimmer
|an elite swimmer
|a top swimmer
|a relay swimmer
|a freestyle swimmer
|a backstroke swimmer
|a medal-winning swimmer
|a national-team swimmer
Themes
sports
|fitness
Examples
- He’s a competitive swimmer who trains twice a day.
- Several swimmers qualified for the finals in the 200 meters.
- The club supports young swimmers who want to race.
Learner examples
- She is a competitive swimmer.
- He trains like a professional swimmer.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
3
floating spot in vision
A small moving spot you see in your eyes.
Usage pattern:
[have/see/get] swimmers (in your vision)
Common mistake:
This use is much less common than floater and may not be understood everywhere.
Synonyms
floater (The standard, widely understood term for this visual effect.)
Antonyms
clear vision (No spots or drifting shapes in the field of view.)
Collocations
see swimmers
|get swimmers in your eyes
|dark swimmers
|little swimmers
|swimmers in my vision
Themes
health
|body
Examples
- After staring at the bright sky, I noticed a few swimmers drifting across my vision.
- He said the swimmers were worse when he looked at a white wall.
- If you suddenly see lots of new swimmers, it can be a reason to get your eyes checked.
Grammar
Dictionary form
swimmer
IPA
GB/swˈɪmɚ/
US/swˈɪmɚ/
Syllables & stress
swim - mer (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (swim)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: swimmer
- Plural: swimmers
Expressions
swimmer's body
1/swˈɪmɚz bˈɑdi/
fixed phrase
informal
lean, muscular physique stereotype
A fit body that looks like a swimmer’s body.
Examples
- People assume he has a swimmer’s body because of his broad shoulders.
- The ad promised a ‘swimmer’s body’ after a few weeks of workouts.
- She’s always had a swimmer’s body from years of training in the pool.
swimmer's build
1/swˈɪmɚz bˈɪld/
fixed phrase
broad-shouldered athletic build
An athletic body shape like a swimmer’s.
Examples
- He has a swimmer’s build, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
- Years of training gave her a classic swimmer’s build.
- The coach looks for athletes with a swimmer’s build for the sprint events.
swimmer's ear
1/swˈɪmɚz ˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
outer ear canal infection
An ear infection you can get after swimming.
Examples
- I think I’ve got swimmer’s ear after being in the pool all weekend.
- The doctor prescribed drops to treat swimmer’s ear.
- Dry your ears well to help prevent swimmer’s ear.
swimmer's itch
1/swˈɪmɚz ˈɪt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
itchy rash after lake swim
An itchy rash after swimming in a lake or pond.
Examples
- Several kids got swimmer’s itch after swimming in the lake.
- The rash from swimmer’s itch usually goes away on its own.
- Showering right after swimming can help reduce the risk of swimmer’s itch.
swimmer's shoulder
1/swˈɪmɚz ʃˈoʊldɚ/
fixed phrase
shoulder overuse injury
Shoulder pain from swimming too much.
Examples
- She took a break from training because of swimmer’s shoulder.
- Good technique can help prevent swimmer’s shoulder.
- The physio gave him exercises to manage swimmer’s shoulder.