Outswum

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Having surpassed or moved faster than another in swimming, having exceeded or outperformed in a swimming contest or in a figurative sense of swiftly overcoming an obstacle, or having gone beyond something by swimming at a greater speed or distance
2. Describing the act of swimming beyond or ahead of someone else, indicating success in overtaking through swimming speed or endurance, or metaphorically indicating triumph by moving past challenges with swift aquatic movement
3. Denoting the achievement of outpacing another through swimming, suggesting a competitive or comparative swimming success, or implying the ability to overcome or surpass barriers by performing better swimwise

Etymology: "Outswum" is the past tense of "outswim," which in turn is simply "out-" attached to "swim." The prefix "out-" in English has long meant "beyond," "more than," or "surpassing," so "outswim" literally means to swim beyond or surpass another swimmer. The pattern is productive: English speakers have built many verbs this way, such as "outrun," "outdo," and "outlast," where the prefix signals that one party gets past or exceeds another in the action named by the base verb. The base verb "swim" is an ancient inherited word in English, descending from Old English "swimman," and the "out-" prefix is likewise native Germanic material. Because both parts are old and transparent, the compound needs no special coinage story; its meaning follows directly from combining the two.

Synonyms: outpaced, outperformed, outdistanced, outmatched, surpassed

Antonyms: outperformed, outpaced, outdone, exceeded, surpassed