Definition of sail - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
boatsmove on water using sails
- The yacht will sail to the island tomorrow.
2.
start journeybegin a voyage on water
- They sailed from New York to London..
3.
move swiftlymove smoothly and rapidly
- The skateboarder sailed down the street..
Noun
1.
boatingfabric on a boat catching wind to move
- The sail caught the wind and propelled the boat.
2.
boat tripjourney taken on a sailboat
- We went for a sail around the bay.
3.
submarine partsTECH. US the conning tower of a submarineTECH. US
- The submarine's sail was visible above water.
4.
sea biologyTECH. the floating part of a siphonophoreTECH.
- The sail of the Portuguese man-of-war was visible.
Images of sail
fabric on a boat catching wind to move 
the conning tower of a submarine 
the floating part of a siphonophore
Expressions with sail
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
move smoothly down a water body
We decided to sail down the river for a relaxing afternoon.
leave a place by boat
They decided to sail off at dawn.
leave a place by boat
They decided to sail out of the harbor at dawn.
begin a journey by sea
The crew set sail at dawn for their next adventure..
act in a risky or nearly improper way without crossing the line
He tends to sail close to the wind with his business deals.
move into a place smoothly and confidently
The yacht sailed into the harbor at sunset.
succeed or progress quickly and easily with little effort
She will sail through the exam without any trouble.
travel across all the major oceans
He dreams to sail the seven seas one day.
move through life smoothly and effortlessly
She manages to sail through life with grace and ease.
use a false identity or pretense
The spy sailed under false colors during the mission.
pretend to be something else to trick people
He sailed under false colours to get their trust.
moving at maximum speed or with all resources used
The ship was under full sail as it crossed the bay.
with rapid and unimpeded progress
The project is moving full sail ahead.
moved or operated using sails and wind
The sail-powered boat glided across the lake.
act in opposition to prevailing conditions
Starting a new business now is like sailing against the wind.
historical period when sailing ships dominated sea travel
The age of sail revolutionized global trade routes.
start a journey, often by setting sails or beginning something new
They decided to make sail and explore new lands.
progress easily with favorable conditions
With the new funding, the project sailed before the wind.
move past a place or object while traveling on water
We watched the fishing boats sail by the quiet harbor entrance.
sign resembling a sail used for advertising
The store used a sail sign to attract customers.
navigate a boat on the Red Sea
They plan to sail the Red Sea next summer.
device used to slow a boat
The sailors deployed a drag sail during the storm.
triangular canvas on long yard slanting from mast, common in Mediterranean craft
Mediterranean fishing boats often carried a lateen sail.
travel by ship without cargo, carrying weight for balance
The vessel will sail in ballast to the next port.
Origin of sail
Old English, segl (sail)
Terms with sail included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
sailing
sail about for pleasure or relaxation
sport-related
connected with sailing on a board powered by a sail
sailing
rope controlling a sail on a boat
sailing
sail along the edge of a landmass
maritime
winds that help a ship sail faster
leisure
sail a private pleasure boat for enjoyment on open water
recreation
sport or hobby using a wheeled vehicle with a sail on sand
maritime
lifting the anchor to set sail
sailing
spar extending the foot of a sail
sailing
large piece of fabric for a sail
sailing
line used to adjust the trim of a sail
maritime
pull a sail's line to adjust its angle for the wind
flags
position of a flag or sail when raised
sail
flap noisily in the wind
sailing
sail or travel through difficult water conditions
marine journey
sail or travel all the way around something
legal
right to sail ships through foreign waters without interference
maritime
lift an anchor to set sail
maritime
small sail for stormy weather on boats
maritime
the bottom edge of a sail
maritime
reduce wind pressure on a sail
sailing
panel attached to the head of a sail for strength
maritime
tighten a sail by pulling a rope
sailing
reduce the area of a sail
Examples of sail in a sentence
We will sail around the peninsula this afternoon. The ship will sail at dawn. We plan to sail around the island. The paper plane sailed across the classroom. She watched the kite sail into the sky. The sail was torn during the storm.
They hoisted the sail to catch more wind. They took a sunset sail before dinner. Our sail to the island lasted three hours. The crew climbed up to the sail for a better view. Repairs were needed on the submarine's sail. The sail helps the organism float on water. Researchers studied the sail's structure in detail.
View all translations of sail
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:naviguer, voile, ...
- German:segeln, Segel, ...
- Italian:navigare, vela, ...
- Spanish:navegar, vela, ...
- Portuguese:navegar, vela, ...
- Chinese:航行, 帆, ...
- Japanese:帆走する, 帆, ...
- Arabic:أَبْحَرَ, شِرَاع, ...
- Hebrew:לְהַפְלִיג, מִפְרָשׂ, ...
- Russian:плыть, парус, ...
- Ukrainian:плисти, вітрило, ...
- Hindi:पाल से चलना, पाल, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the