1
: the land near a shore : seashore
2
obsolete : border, frontier
3
a
: a hill or slope suited to coasting
b
: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)
4
often capitalized : the Pacific coast of the U.S.
5
: the immediate area of view
used in the phrase the coast is clear

coast

2 of 2

verb

coasted; coasting; coasts

transitive verb

1
obsolete : to move along or past the side of : skirt
2
: to sail along the shore of

intransitive verb

1
a
archaic : to travel on land along a coast or along or past the side of something
b
: to sail along the shore
2
a
: to slide, run, or glide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along without or as if without further application of propulsive power (as by momentum or gravity)
c
: to proceed easily without special application of effort or concern
coasted through school
often used with on
a company coasting on its good reputation
Phrases
from coast to coast
: across an entire nation or continent

Examples of coast in a Sentence

Noun He lives on the coast. He's flying out to the Coast tomorrow. Verb
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 tsunami, which was triggered by a powerful 9.3-magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern Indonesia, is considered the deadliest natural disaster this century and one of the deadliest in recorded history. Michael Fiorentino, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024 As sea life off the coast of mainland Madagascar has declined even faster, many fishermen and their families choose to make the long journey to the Barren Isles. Sira Thierij, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
Verb
Each introduces an element of possible chaos into mature organizations that have coasted for years, if not decades, without ever entertaining such disturbing thoughts. Bill Fischer, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Dallas cut the deficit to eight points, but the Thunder were able to hold the Mavs at bay and OKC coasted to a 118-104 win. Kevin Dotson, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for coast 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cost, from Anglo-French coste, from Latin costa rib, side; akin to Old Church Slavic kostĭ bone

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near coast

Cite this Entry

“Coast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coast. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

1
: the land near a shore : seashore
2
: a slide down a slope (as on a sled)
3
: the present area in view
the coast is clear

coast

2 of 2 verb
1
: to sail along the shore of
2
a
: to slide downhill by the force of gravity
b
: to move along (as on a bicycle when not pedaling) without applying power
3
: to succeed without special effort
coasted through school

More from Merriam-Webster on coast

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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