Meaning & use
scooting
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“scooting” is a form of “scoot”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
Moving quickly, usually a short distance, often to hurry away or get out of the way.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by a direction word: scooting past, scooting off.
Patterns
- scoot over
- scoot off
- scoot along
The kids were scooting across the yard to catch the ice cream truck.
A squirrel went scooting up the tree when the dog appeared.
I'm scooting out of work early to catch my train.
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal
Sliding yourself or an object along a surface a short way, such as moving a chair closer.
Grammar: Can take an object (scooting a chair) or not (scooting closer).
Patterns
- scoot over
- scoot something along
She was scooting her chair closer to the table.
The baby was scooting across the floor on his bottom.
Keep scooting forward until you reach the edge of the bench.
Word forms
| base form | scoot |
|---|---|
| third person singular | scoots |
| past tense | scooted |
| -ing form | scooting |
Common combinations
- scooting over
- Thanks for scooting over to make room for me.
- scooting along
- The little boat was scooting along the shoreline.
- scooting off
- She was scooting off before anyone noticed.
- scooting across the floor
- The puppy was scooting across the floor in its socks.
- scooting around
- The children were scooting around the playground on scooters.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dashing
- Dashing suggests a fast, energetic run, while scooting is lighter and often shorter.
- scurrying
- Scurrying suggests small quick steps, often from nervousness, whereas scooting can be calm.
- sliding
- Sliding means moving smoothly over a surface, while scooting can also be quick motion on foot.
- zipping
- Zipping implies very high speed and is more casual than scooting.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: scooting or scouting?
scooting vs scouting
Scouting means searching an area or looking for talent, not moving quickly.
Practice
The bench was crowded, so he asked her to keep ____ over to make room.
Choose one answer.
Scooting over means sliding sideways a little. Scouting, scouring and scoring look similar but have different meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scooting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.