swimmers
B1Neutral to informal (when meaning swimsuit). Formal in athletic/sporting contexts.
Definition
Meaning
People who swim, either as a recreational activity, for sport, or as a profession.
A term for a swimsuit (especially in UK/Australian informal usage). Also used metaphorically to describe people navigating or moving through a challenging medium (e.g., 'political swimmers').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a plural noun referring to multiple persons. The singular 'swimmer' denotes one person. The informal meaning ('swimsuit') is always plural in form ('my swimmers').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British (and Australian) informal English, 'swimmers' can mean 'swimsuit' ('I packed my swimmers'). This usage is rare in American English, where 'bathing suit' or 'swimsuit' is standard.
Connotations
In sports contexts, identical. The swimsuit meaning is casual, colloquial.
Frequency
As 'people who swim', equally frequent. As 'swimsuit', common in UK/AU informal speech, very low frequency in US.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Swimmers + verb (e.g., swimmers compete, swimmers train)Adjective + swimmers (e.g., skilled swimmers)Preposition + swimmers (e.g., a team of swimmers, a pool for swimmers)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for the plural noun. Related: 'sink or swim']”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Could appear in tourism/leisure industry contexts ('facilities for swimmers').
Academic
In sports science, physiology studies ('effects of training on elite swimmers').
Everyday
Common for discussing people at a pool, beach, or in a swimming team.
Technical
In sports coaching, event organization ('seeding the swimmers in heats').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The team swimmers twice a day in the lead-up to the nationals.
American English
- She swimmers competitively for her university.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The swimmers are in the pool.
- Look at the swimmers in the sea!
- The swimmers trained hard for the competition.
- Strong swimmers should stay between the flags.
- Elite swimmers follow a rigorous diet and training regimen.
- Several swimmers were disqualified for false starts.
- The phalanx of swimmers churned through the water, each vying for the optimal lane position.
- As a metaphor, the company's executives were mere swimmers in a vast ocean of global finance.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: SWIMM + ERS. The 'ERS' sounds like 'ers' in 'runners' – both are people who do an activity (swim/run).
Conceptual Metaphor
SWIMMERS ARE NAVIGATORS (e.g., 'swimmers through life's turbulent waters').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not directly translate Russian 'пловцы' as 'floats' or 'rafts'.
- The informal 'swimmers' (swimsuit) has no direct Russian equivalent; avoid calquing.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'swimmers' as a singular noun (*'a swimmers'). Correct: 'a swimmer'.
- Using 'swimmers' to mean 'swimming pool' (false friend with some languages).
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English can 'swimmers' colloquially mean a piece of clothing?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Plural. The singular is 'swimmer'.
No, that is incorrect. You must say 'a swimmer' for one person.
They can be synonyms for people swimming recreationally. 'Swimmers' is more neutral; 'bathers' might imply less strenuous activity. In sports, only 'swimmers' is used.
Because in General American pronunciation, the 'r' in the '-ers' suffix is pronounced (rhotic accent), whereas in British Received Pronunciation it is not (non-rhotic).