What does “coast” mean?
- 1
nounthe land next to the sea
We drove along the coast for three days.
- 2
verbto move without using power, or to succeed with little effort
He coasted through school without studying much.
Coast at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun & verb
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /koʊst/ · KOHST
How to use “coast” correctly
Use “on the coast” for towns and “off the coast” for things in the sea nearby. The verb “coast” often suggests not trying hard.
Common phrases with “coast”
- on the coast
- off the coast
- the East Coast
- coast to coast
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- shore
- seaside
- cruise
Word family
- coastal
- coastline
“coast” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- ground nounA2the surface of the earth that you stand on
- land nounA2the solid part of the earth’s surface, not the sea
- space nounA2an empty area that can be used
- base nounB1the bottom part of something
- crew nounB2all the people who work on a ship, plane or train
- edge nounB1the outer line or end part of a surface, area or object
- environment nounB1the natural world of land, air, water, plants and animals
- fare nounB2the money you pay to travel on a bus, train, plane or taxi