fishing

1 of 2

noun

fish·​ing ˈfi-shiŋ How to pronounce fishing (audio)
Synonyms of fishingnext
1
: the sport or business of catching fish
2
: a place for catching fish

fishing

2 of 2

present participle of fish entry 2

Examples of fishing in a Sentence

Noun The fishing was pretty good today. I'm going fishing this weekend.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The technology was also tested against deceptive behaviour, an in a different scenario, fishing boats appeared to retreat while vessels from another direction accelerated toward the coastguard ship. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026 Fisheries as the sticking point Under EU rules, fishing quotas are based on historical fishing patterns, among other things. — Reuters, NBC news, 30 Aug. 2026 Overall, the new plans show the East Potomac Golf Links being expanded about 50 acres into parkland that is currently being used for picnicking, fishing, cycling and other recreational activities, the newspaper reported on June 30. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 In Japan, the festivals are a defining part of the season, commonly featuring street foods such as takoyaki and yakisoba alongside games including goldfish scooping and water-balloon fishing. — Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fishing

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fishing was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing fishing

Rhymes for fishing

See All Rhymes for fishing

Browse Nearby Words

fishily
fishing
fishing banks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fishing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fishing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fishing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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