swimmer

noun

swim·​mer ˈswi-mər How to pronounce swimmer (audio)
plural swimmers
: a person or animal that swims
a competitive swimmer
a fast/strong swimmer
… he liked to tell us that he had been a powerful swimmer in his youth, but I never saw him in actual water save once, and he then came out very promptly, shivering and upset.—H. L. Mencken
a dog that is an excellent swimmer

Examples of swimmer in a Sentence

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.
In August that year, a swimmer at Long Nook Beach in Truro was bitten by a great white. — Heather McCarron, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Emergency personnel from Martha’s Vineyard rushed a swimmer to a hospital Monday after the woman sustained what appeared to be a shark bite, officials said. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Deputies riding Sea-Doos on July 18 rescued three swimmers not wearing life jackets who were close to drowning on Petite Lake in unincorporated Lake Villa. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Officials said the temporary restriction would allow town personnel to assess conditions before reopening the water to swimmers. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for swimmer

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of swimmer was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing swimmer

Rhymes for swimmer

See All Rhymes for swimmer

Browse Nearby Words

swim meet
swimmer
swimmer's ear
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Swimmer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swimmer. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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