"tread water" meaning in All languages combined

See tread water on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Forms: treads water [present, singular, third-person], treading water [participle, present], treaded water [US, past, regional], trod water [UK, common, past], treaded water [participle, past], trodden water [UK, common, participle, past], trod water [UK, common, participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*|past2=trod water|past2_qual=more common in UK|past_ptc2=trodden water|past_ptc2_qual=more common in UK|past_ptc3=trod water|past_ptc3_qual=more common in UK|past_qual=common in US}} tread water (third-person singular simple present treads water, present participle treading water, simple past (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water, past participle treaded water or (more common in UK) trodden water or (more common in UK) trod water)
  1. To remain afloat in the water without use of any buoyancy aid, by using kicking motions and hand motions. Categories (topical): Swimming Translations (to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid): pysytellä pinnalla (Finnish), huitoa vettä (Finnish), pärskiä (Finnish), Wasser treten (German), stare a galla (Italian), trampa vatten (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-tread_water-en-verb-Y1XwDHlV Disambiguation of Swimming: 63 37 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English predicates, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys, Pages with 1 entry, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 59 41 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 62 38 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 64 36 Disambiguation of English predicates: 56 44 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 61 39 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 59 41 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 58 42 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 60 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 60 40 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 59 41 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 52 48 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 61 39 Disambiguation of 'to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid': 92 8
  2. (figuratively) To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position. Tags: figuratively Translations (to make no progress): 原地踏步 (yuándì tàbù) (Chinese Mandarin), 维持现状 (wéichí xiànzhuàng) (Chinese Mandarin), ter plaatse trappelen (Dutch), polkea paikallaan (Finnish), faire du sur place (French), piétiner (French), auf der Stelle treten [colloquial] (German), sich im Kreis drehen (German), δεν προκόβω (den prokóvo) (Greek), annaspare (Italian), stać w miejscu [imperfective] (Polish), топта́ться на ме́сте (toptátʹsja na méste) (Russian), yerinde saymak [colloquial] (Turkish), топта́тись на мі́сці (toptátysʹ na mísci) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-tread_water-en-verb-u~VU8SVo Categories (other): Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 55 45 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 53 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 52 48 Disambiguation of 'to make no progress': 2 98

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "treads water",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "treading water",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "treaded water",
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "past",
        "regional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trod water",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "common",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "treaded water",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trodden water",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "common",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trod water",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "common",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "past2": "trod water",
        "past2_qual": "more common in UK",
        "past_ptc2": "trodden water",
        "past_ptc2_qual": "more common in UK",
        "past_ptc3": "trod water",
        "past_ptc3_qual": "more common in UK",
        "past_qual": "common in US"
      },
      "expansion": "tread water (third-person singular simple present treads water, present participle treading water, simple past (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water, past participle treaded water or (more common in UK) trodden water or (more common in UK) trod water)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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        {
          "_dis": "63 37",
          "kind": "topical",
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          "name": "Swimming",
          "orig": "en:Swimming",
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            "Sports",
            "Human activity",
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            "Human",
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            "Fundamental"
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        }
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        {
          "ref": "1857, R. M. Ballantyne, “chapter 13”, in The Coral Island",
          "text": "We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and on emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by treading water, while we held the two bundles above our heads.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To remain afloat in the water without use of any buoyancy aid, by using kicking motions and hand motions."
      ],
      "id": "en-tread_water-en-verb-Y1XwDHlV",
      "links": [
        [
          "afloat",
          "afloat"
        ],
        [
          "buoyancy",
          "buoyancy"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "pysytellä pinnalla"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "huitoa vettä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "pärskiä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "Wasser treten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "stare a galla"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "92 8",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
          "word": "trampa vatten"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
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          "_dis": "53 47",
          "kind": "other",
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2009, The Economist, The idea of progress: Onwards and upwards",
          "text": "The popular view is that, although technology and GDP advance, morals and society are treading water or, depending on your choice of newspaper, sinking back into decadence and barbarism.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, The Economist, Aid and austerity",
          "text": "In the first scenario, the fund gets $13 billion, the minimum investment needed for the organisation to tread water.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position."
      ],
      "id": "en-tread_water-en-verb-u~VU8SVo",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "yuándì tàbù",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "原地踏步"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wéichí xiànzhuàng",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "维持现状"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "ter plaatse trappelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "polkea paikallaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "faire du sur place"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "piétiner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "auf der Stelle treten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "sich im Kreis drehen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "den prokóvo",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "δεν προκόβω"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "annaspare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "stać w miejscu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "toptátʹsja na méste",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "топта́ться на ме́сте"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "yerinde saymak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "toptátysʹ na mísci",
          "sense": "to make no progress",
          "word": "топта́тись на мі́сці"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tread water"
}
{
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    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
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    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "en:Swimming"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "treads water",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "treading water",
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        "present"
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      "form": "treaded water",
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        "regional"
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    {
      "form": "trod water",
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        "UK",
        "common",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "treaded water",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
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    {
      "form": "trodden water",
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "common",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trod water",
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        "common",
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        "past"
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        "past_ptc3": "trod water",
        "past_ptc3_qual": "more common in UK",
        "past_qual": "common in US"
      },
      "expansion": "tread water (third-person singular simple present treads water, present participle treading water, simple past (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water, past participle treaded water or (more common in UK) trodden water or (more common in UK) trod water)",
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          "ref": "1857, R. M. Ballantyne, “chapter 13”, in The Coral Island",
          "text": "We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and on emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by treading water, while we held the two bundles above our heads.",
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        }
      ],
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        "To remain afloat in the water without use of any buoyancy aid, by using kicking motions and hand motions."
      ],
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          "afloat",
          "afloat"
        ],
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          "buoyancy",
          "buoyancy"
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          "ref": "2009, The Economist, The idea of progress: Onwards and upwards",
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          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, The Economist, Aid and austerity",
          "text": "In the first scenario, the fund gets $13 billion, the minimum investment needed for the organisation to tread water.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figuratively) To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "pysytellä pinnalla"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "huitoa vettä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "pärskiä"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "Wasser treten"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "stare a galla"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to remain afloat in water without use of any buoyancy aid",
      "word": "trampa vatten"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "yuándì tàbù",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "原地踏步"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wéichí xiànzhuàng",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "维持现状"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "ter plaatse trappelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "polkea paikallaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "faire du sur place"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "piétiner"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "auf der Stelle treten"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "sich im Kreis drehen"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "den prokóvo",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "δεν προκόβω"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "annaspare"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "stać w miejscu"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "toptátʹsja na méste",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "топта́ться на ме́сте"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "yerinde saymak"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "toptátysʹ na mísci",
      "sense": "to make no progress",
      "word": "топта́тись на мі́сці"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tread water"
}

Download raw JSONL data for tread water meaning in All languages combined (5.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-09-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-08-20 using wiktextract (8e41825 and f99c758). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.