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Definitions

gliding

ADJECTIVE
flying
Synonyms
STRONGEST
aerial floating soaring
STRONG
drifting express flapping fleet fluttering hovering mobile plumed streaming swooping waving winging zooming
WEAK
aeronautical airborne avian mercurial on the wing speedy volant volar volitant
NOUN
flight
Synonyms
STRONGEST
arrival departure shuttle transport trip
STRONG
aeronautics aviation hop jump mounting navigation soaring voyage winging
WEAK
aerial navigation avigation takeoff volitation
Antonyms
STRONGEST
stay
WEAK
standing staying waiting

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for gliding?
The word gliding is the continuous (-ing) form of glide, and it can also be used as a modifier, as in gliding motion.  Saying that something is gliding often means that it’s moving smoothly and often quickly over a surface, such as how an ice hockey puck travels over the ice. Similar words are sliding and coasting. The word skating is sometimes used in reference to how ice skates skate over ice. Gliding is also commonly used to mean a particular kind of flying. For example, when a bird is gliding, it’s said to be soaring (flying without flapping its wings). When it’s an aircraft (such as a glider) or something else, you could say it’s sailing through the air. Sometimes, saying that something is gliding in the air—like a ghost, for example—means not that it’s flying or soaring but rather that it’s floating or hovering (often right above a surface). Gliding is also sometimes used a bit more figuratively, such as to describe how a dancer moves across a stage. In this case, the movement isn’t gliding in the literal sense, but rather a graceful, fluid motion. Such movement could also be described as floating or, more fancily, lilting.
What is the opposite (antonym) of gliding?
Gliding refers to a smooth, continuous movement. The opposite is a jerky or stilted movement. Words that capture this are lurching and skittering.
How do you use gliding in a sentence?
Gliding is always used in the context of movement, but the exact type of movement varies, especially depending on where it happens and what’s doing the gliding. Here are some examples of gliding in a sentence:
  • The surface is perfectly smooth—perfect for gliding.
  • The hovercraft looks as if it’s gliding on the water. 
  • She came gliding into the room as if carried by a cloud. 
  • The hawk, gliding on the thermal updraft, soared for several minutes without flapping.
 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Photographs showed sailors in crisp whites and a grey frigate gliding in the sea harbour on a clear day.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Some scientists thought these fish-eating creatures may have been fully aquatic, gliding through deep waters to snare prey.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

Instead of gliding, he is “literally flying up the hill,” said Hans-Christer Holmberg, a professor at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

“With surfing and skating, there’s always been that mix of flow and violence. You’re carving, you’re gliding, and then sometimes you take a wave on the head,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2026

While I wait for instructions from the command center, I continue to rove, gliding over a sand dune that is relatively easy to traverse.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.