Careen — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /kə-ˈrēn/ ca·reen

Meaning & Definition of Careen

Careen (verb)

  1. to put (a ship or boat) on a beach especially in order to clean, caulk, or repair the hull
  2. to cause to heel over
  3. to clean, caulk, or repair the hull of a boat

Careen (noun)

  1. the act or process of careening, the state of being careened

Careen (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a series of unsteady side-to-side motions

    "the sled careened as it barreled down the hill"

    similar: lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble
    related: blunder, buck, dodder, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, reel, shake, stagger, stumble, teeter, toddle, totter, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waddle, waver, weave, oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle

  2. to move forward while swaying from side to side

    "he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head"

    similar: dodder, lurch, reel, stagger, teeter, totter, waddle
    related: rock, roll, seesaw, swag, sway, waver, weave, wobble, barge, blunder, clomp, clump, flounder, galumph, lumber, lump, pound, scuff, scuffle, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stumble, tramp, tromp

  3. to proceed or move quickly

    "sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Careen

The most common words with a similar meaning to Careen:

Slang: bomb
lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble, dodder, reel, stagger, teeter, totter, waddle, barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Careen

Words with the opposite meaning of Careen:

crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Careen

blunder, buck, falter, flounder, halt, hitch, hobble, jerk, jolt, shake, stumble, toddle, tumble, vacillate, vibrate, waver, weave, oscillate, undulate, wag, waggle, swag, barge, clomp, clump, galumph, lumber, lump, pound, scuff

Near Antonyms of Careen

dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Word Forms of Careen

Inflections: careened, careening, careens

Origin & Etymology of Careen

from carine side of a ship, from Middle French, submerged part of a hull, from Latin carina hull, half of a nutshell; perhaps akin to Greek karyon nut

First known use: 1578t

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Careen

Frequently Asked Questions about Careen

What does "Careen" mean?

"Careen" means to put (a ship or boat) on a beach especially in order to clean, caulk, or repair the hull. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to put (a ship or boat) on a beach especially in order to clean, caulk, or repair the hull. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Careen"?

Other words for "Careen" include lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss and wobble. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Careen" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Careen"?

There are 133 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Careen". Common alternatives include lurch, pitch, rock, roll, seesaw, sway, toss, wobble, dodder and reel.

What is the opposite of "Careen"?

Antonyms of "Careen" include crawl, creep and poke. Near antonyms include dally, dawdle, dillydally and drag.

How do you use "Careen" in a sentence?

Examples of "Careen" in a sentence: "the sled careened as it barreled down the hill"; "he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head"; "sounding its siren, an ambulance careened through the intersection".

Is "Careen" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Careen" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Careen" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Careen" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Careen"?

"Careen" is pronounced /kə-ˈrēn/ and divided into syllables as ca·reen.