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Careening: meaning, definitions and examples

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careening

 

[ kəˈrɪnɪŋ ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

moving swiftly

Careening refers to the act of swerving or lurching rapidly from side to side, often used in reference to vehicles or vessels that are moving out of control. It can also imply a sense of recklessness in the movement.

Synonyms

lurching, swerving, veering

Examples of usage

  • The car was careening down the hill.
  • The boat was careening over the waves.
  • He was careening around the corner.
  • The cyclist was careening past the pedestrians.

Translations

Translations of the word "careening" in other languages:

🇵🇹 inclinação

🇮🇳 झुकाव

🇩🇪 kippen

🇮🇩 miring

🇺🇦 похил

🇵🇱 przechylenie

🇯🇵 傾き

🇫🇷 inclinaison

🇪🇸 inclinación

🇹🇷 yatık

🇰🇷 기울기

🇸🇦 ميل

🇨🇿 naklonění

🇸🇰 sklon

🇨🇳 倾斜

🇸🇮 nagnjenje

🇮🇸 halla

🇰🇿 қисығы

🇬🇪 მხრობა

🇦🇿 meyil

🇲🇽 inclinación

Etymology

The word 'careening' has its roots in the mid-16th century, originating from the word 'careen', which comes from the French term 'cariner', meaning 'to put a ship on its side'. It was originally used to describe the process of tilting a ship to clean its hull or repair it. Over time, the term expanded in its meaning to encompass any sort of wild or uncontrolled motion, often associated with vehicles or objects swerving unexpectedly. The evolution of the term reflects changes in nautical practices and the increasing influence of nautical terminology in everyday language, particularly in describing chaotic movements in various contexts.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #31,727 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.