Meaning & use
motorboat
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small or medium boat moved by an engine, often used for fun, fishing or short trips on water.
Grammar: Often written as one word; motor boat is less common.
Patterns
- in a motorboat
- by motorboat
- a motorboat trip
They crossed the lake in a small motorboat.
The motorboat left a wide white wake behind it.
We rented a motorboat for the afternoon and went fishing.
verbintransitiverare
To travel or carry someone in a boat powered by an engine.
Grammar: Usually followed by a direction: motorboat across the bay.
Patterns
- motorboat across something
- motorboat along something
Every summer they motorboat along the coast to their cabin.
We motorboated across the bay just before sunset.
Word forms
| plural | motorboats |
|---|---|
| third person singular | motorboats |
| past tense | motorboated |
| -ing form | motorboating |
Common combinations
- rent a motorboat
- They rented a motorboat to explore the islands.
- drive a motorboat
- He learned to drive a motorboat at summer camp.
- motorboat engine
- The motorboat engine coughed and stopped.
- by motorboat
- The village can only be reached by motorboat.
- speeding motorboat
- A speeding motorboat passed too close to the swimmers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- powerboat
- Powerboat usually suggests a faster, stronger boat used for racing or leisure, while motorboat is the general term.
- launch
- A launch is a larger open boat used to carry people between a ship and the shore, so it is more specific than motorboat.
- speedboat
- Speedboat stresses high speed, while a motorboat may be slow and used for fishing.
- outboard
- Outboard refers to a boat with an engine mounted on the back, which is one type of motorboat.
Opposites
Word family
- motorboating noun
- the activity of traveling in motorboats
- motorboater noun
- a person who drives a motorboat
- motor noun
- the engine that powers the boat
- boat noun
- a vessel for traveling on water
Commonly confused: motorboat or motorcycle?
motorboat vs motorcycle
A motorcycle is a two-wheeled road vehicle, not a boat, although both words begin with motor.
Practice
With no wind, the sailboat sat still, but the ___ sped past it.
Choose one answer.
A motorboat uses an engine, so wind is not needed. The rowboat, canoe and raft all rely on human power or current and would not speed past.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “motorboat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.