walking

1 of 2

noun

walk·​ing ˈwȯ-kiŋ How to pronounce walking (audio)
1
: the action of one that walks
2
: the condition of a surface for one going on foot
the walking is slippery

walking

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: able to walk : ambulatory
the walking wounded
b
: being the personification of a nonhuman quality or thing
a walking encyclopedia
2
a
: used for or in walking
walking shoes
b
: characterized by or consisting of the action of walking
a walking tour
3
: that moves or appears to move in a manner suggestive of walking
especially : that swings or rocks back and forth
walking beam
4
: guided or operated by a person on foot
a walking plow

Examples of walking in a Sentence

Noun She goes walking every day in the park. Adjective a good pair of walking shoes They were going at a walking pace. She is a walking disaster.
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
Not the one within walking distance of the house, but the good one, across town? Alyssa Brandt, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 The stop in Shanghai includes Chinese calligraphy lessons, an urban walking tour, and a day trip to Hangzhou by high-speed rail to cruise the UNESCO World Heritage Site, West Lake. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
The property is also within short walking distance of some recognizable hot spots: the Staples Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. Adam Lapetina, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2020 These people are all within walking distance of one another in Rhinebeck. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for walking

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Walking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walking. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Medical Definition

walking

adjective
walk·​ing ˈwȯ-kiŋ How to pronounce walking (audio)
: able to walk : ambulatory

More from Merriam-Webster on walking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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