Meaning & use
gongoozling
Last updated
“gongoozling” is a form of “gongoozle”.
Meanings
verbintransitiveBritishhumorous
Standing and watching boats and canal activity idly, usually as a hobby or out of curiosity.
Grammar: No object; often with at or on: gongoozling at the lock.
Patterns
- gongoozling at something
We spent the afternoon gongoozling beside the lock.
Tourists were gongoozling as the barge passed.
He loves gongoozling on the towpath.
noununcountableBritishhumorous
The pastime of watching boats on a canal.
Grammar: Uncountable: a day of gongoozling.
Patterns
- a day of gongoozling
Gongoozling is a calm way to spend Sunday.
They enjoy a bit of gongoozling by the bridge.
Gongoozling at the locks draws crowds.
Word forms
| third person singular | gongoozles |
|---|---|
| past tense | gongoozled |
| past participle | gongoozled |
| -ing form | gongoozling |
Common combinations
- go gongoozling
- Let's go gongoozling at the locks.
- gongoozling at the lock
- He was gongoozling at the lock.
- an avid gongoozler
- An avid gongoozler watched every boat.
- spend time gongoozling
- We spent time gongoozling.
Synonyms and how they differ
- boat-watching
- Boat-watching is a plain description, while gongoozling is a fun insider term.
- people-watching
- People-watching is about observing passersby, not boats.
- gazing
- Gazing is general and carries no canal meaning.
Word family
- gongoozle verb
- to watch canal boats idly
- gongoozler noun
- someone who does this
- canal noun
- a man-made waterway
- towpath noun
- a path beside a canal
Commonly confused: gongoozling or gawking?
gongoozling vs gawking
Gawking is rude staring, but gongoozling is a harmless canal pastime.
Practice
What is someone doing if they are gongoozling?
Choose one answer.
Gongoozling means watching boats idly. The other options describe active tasks.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gongoozling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.