Meaning & use
canoeing
Last updated
“canoeing” is a form of “canoe”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
noununcountable
The activity or sport of traveling in a light narrow boat moved with a paddle.
Grammar: Uncountable: you say 'go canoeing' or 'do canoeing', not 'a canoeing'.
Patterns
- go canoeing
- canoeing trip
- canoeing on a river
We went canoeing on the lake last weekend.
Canoeing is a popular summer activity in Canada.
She teaches canoeing to beginners at the outdoor center.
verbintransitive
Present participle of canoe: paddling or traveling in a canoe.
Grammar: Used after be to form continuous tenses: 'They are canoeing.'
Patterns
- be canoeing
- canoeing down a river
They are canoeing down the river right now.
He was canoeing when it started to rain.
We have been canoeing every summer since we were kids.
Word forms
| base form | canoe |
|---|---|
| third person singular | canoes |
| past tense | canoed |
| past participle | canoed |
| present participle | canoeing |
Common combinations
- go canoeing
- Let's go canoeing this afternoon.
- canoeing trip
- They planned a canoeing trip for the weekend.
- canoeing gear
- You'll need proper canoeing gear for the rapids.
- canoeing instructor
- The canoeing instructor showed us how to hold the paddle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- kayaking
- Similar activity but uses a kayak, where the paddler sits and uses a double-bladed paddle; canoeing usually involves a kneeling or sitting position with a single-bladed paddle.
- paddling
- A more general term for moving a boat with a paddle, which can include canoeing, kayaking, or paddleboarding.
Word family
- canoe noun
- The light narrow boat used in canoeing.
- canoeist noun
- A person who canoes.
Commonly confused: canoeing or canon?
canoeing vs canon
A canon is a church law or a group of accepted works; canoeing is the water activity. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'canoeing' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Go canoeing' is the correct phrase for the activity. 'Go to canoeing' is wrong because 'to' is not used before the -ing activity. 'Go a canoeing' is wrong because 'a' is not used with uncountable activities. 'Go canoeing trip' is wrong because 'trip' would need 'on a' or 'for a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canoeing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.