coast

UK: /ˈkəʊst/ US: /koʊst/ ,(kōst)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

coast /koʊst/   n. [countable]

1. the land next to the sea;
   seashore:
   We drove along the coast on Route 1.
2. the region next to this land:
   Up and down the eastern coast the storm raged.
3. a slide down a hill or slope, as on a sled.

v. [no object]

4. to descend or go down, as in a car, on a bicycle, etc., without using power:
   We cut off the motor and coasted into town.
5. to go forward or progress with little effort:
   In senior year many students want to coast through to graduation.

Idioms

6. Idioms the coast is clear, nothing is present to interfere with one's progress:
   The guard's gone and the coast is clear; forward, men!

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

coast  (kōst), n. 

1. the land next to the sea;
   seashore:
   the rocky coast of Maine.
2. the region adjoining it:
   They live on the coast, a few miles from the sea.
3. a hill or slope down which one may slide on a sled.
4. a slide or ride down a hill or slope, as on a sled.
5. Informal Terms [Obs.] the boundary or border of a country.
6. the Coast, [Informal.] (in the U.S. and Canada) the region bordering on the Pacific Ocean;
   the West Coast:
   I'm flying out to the Coast next week.
7. Idioms the coast is clear, no danger or impediment exists;
   no persons are in the path or vicinity:
   The boys waited until the coast was clear before climbing over the wall.

v.i. 

8. to slide on a sled down a snowy or icy hillside or incline.
9. to descend a hill or the like, as on a bicycle, without using pedals.
10. to continue to move or advance after effort has ceased;
    keep going on acquired momentum:
    We cut off the car engine and coasted for a while.
11. to advance or proceed with little or no effort, esp. owing to one's actual or former assets, as wealth, position, or name, or those of another:
    The actor coasted to stardom on his father's name.
12. to sail along, or call at the various ports of, a coast.
13. [Obs.] to proceed in a roundabout way.

v.t. 

14. to cause to move along under acquired momentum:
    to coast a rocket around the sun.
15. to proceed along or near the coast of.
16. [Obs.] to keep alongside of (a person moving).
17. [Obs.] to go by the side or border of.

• Anglo-French costeier, Old French costoier, derivative of the noun, nominal
• Latin costa rib, side, wall; (verb, verbal) Middle English cost(e)yen, costen
• Anglo-French, Middle French
• (noun, nominal) Middle English cost(e) 1325–75

Synonyms

• 1. strand, seaside, littoral. See shore¹. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

coast / kəʊst/ noun

1. the line or zone where the land meets the sea or some other large expanse of water
Related adjective(s): littoral
2. the seaside
3. a slope down which a sledge may slide
4. the act or an instance of sliding down a slope
5. the coast is clear ⇒ the obstacles or dangers are gone

verb

1. to move or cause to move by momentum or force of gravity
2. (intransitive) to proceed without great effort: to coast to victory
3. to sail along (a coast)

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French coste coast, slope, from Latin costa side, rib

ˈcoastal adjective