Meaning & use
Fishing
Last updated
The activity or sport of catching fish, whether for food, sale, or recreation; figuratively, an attempt to obtain information indirectly or by hinting.
See it in a sentence
They spent the weekend fishing on the lake, hoping for a good catch of trout.
She wasn't really asking about his plans, she was just fishing for an invitation.
A note on using this word
The figurative sense, as in 'fishing for compliments', extends the idea of casting a line and waiting to see what one can pull in.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
Trying to obtain something, especially information or a reaction, indirectly.
He was clearly fishing for a compliment about his new haircut.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Fishing”, then compare your use with the examples above.