Meaning & use
swimsuit
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A piece of clothing worn for swimming or other water activities.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a swimsuit' or 'swimsuits'.
Patterns
- wear a swimsuit
- put on a swimsuit
- in a swimsuit
She packed a swimsuit for the beach holiday.
He bought a new swimsuit before the swimming competition.
The children were already in their swimsuits, waiting by the pool.
Word forms
| plural | swimsuits |
|---|
Common combinations
- swimsuit model
- She works as a swimsuit model for a sportswear brand.
- swimsuit issue
- The magazine's annual swimsuit issue is controversial.
- one-piece swimsuit
- A one-piece swimsuit is often preferred for competitive swimming.
- bikini swimsuit
- She wore a bikini swimsuit to the pool party.
Synonyms and how they differ
- swimming costume
- British English; the usual term in the UK for a swimsuit.
- bathing suit
- Slightly old-fashioned; still common in American English.
- trunks
- Usually refers to men's swimwear, especially shorts.
Word family
Commonly confused: swimsuit or swimwear?
swimsuit vs swimwear
Swimwear is an uncountable term for clothing worn for swimming; a swimsuit is one specific item.
Practice
She forgot to pack her ___ for the beach trip.
Choose one answer.
A swimsuit is a countable item of clothing, so it fits with 'her'. 'Swimwear' is uncountable and would not take 'a' or 'her' in this way; 'swimming' is an activity, and 'swimmer' is a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “swimsuit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.