coast
coast — noun
1. the strip of land where a country or region touches the sea, including its beach
the strip of land where a country or region touches the sea, including its beaches, cliffs, and rocky edges along the water.
The Watanabe family spent their summer holiday in a small house on the coast of southern Japan.
on the coast of [place]
Aiko walked along the rocky coast every morning to watch the sunrise from the cliffs.
A new national park was created to protect the coast from further development.
The oil spill caused serious damage to the coast of northern France.
Drivers taking route 101 can enjoy beautiful views of the California coast.
- inland
the area away from the coast, toward the middle of a country
文法句型
the coast + of + [place]
along the coast
on the coast
用法筆記
Often used with the definite article 'the' or a possessive ('the east coast', 'France's coast'). Can also be modified by direction words: east coast, west coast, north coast, south coast.
常見錯誤
2. appearing in the fixed phrase 'from coast to coast', meaning across an entire la
appearing in the fixed phrase 'from coast to coast', meaning across an entire large country — traveling or reaching from one shoreline all the way to the opposite shoreline.
Ravi drove from coast to coast in just five days, starting in New York and ending in San Francisco.
from coast to coast
The charity cycling team will go from coast to coast to raise money for children's hospitals.
Wen's debut novel became a coast-to-coast bestseller within weeks of its release.
The radio network broadcasts its morning show from coast to coast every weekday.
- nationwide
covers the whole country without the travel-journey implication; coast to coast specifically suggests crossing from one shoreline to the other
- transcontinental
more formal and specifically means crossing a continent, not just a country
文法句型
from coast to coast
coast-to-coast + [noun]
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'from coast to coast' or 'coast-to-coast' (hyphenated as an adjective). The phrase is most commonly used in US contexts but can refer to other large countries with two coastlines.
3. a figure of speech in which 'the coast' stands for the entire country or its who
a figure of speech in which 'the coast' stands for the entire country or its whole population — used to describe something that is happening or true nationwide, as in 'the whole coast' meaning the whole nation.
People across the coast tuned in to watch the president's speech on live television.
across the coast = across the nation
Polls across the coast showed that most voters wanted stronger action on climate change.
The new album was released in stores across the coast on the very same morning.
Charities across the coast collected donations for families affected by the flood.
- nationwide
more direct and formal word for 'in every part of the country', without the coastal metaphor
- countrywide
very similar to nationwide, slightly less common
文法句型
the whole coast
across the coast
用法筆記
This sense uses 'the coast' as a metonym for the entire country, replacing words like 'nation' or 'country'. It appears mainly in informal or journalistic US English, often in the pattern 'across the coast'. The focus is on nationwide scope, not physical shoreline geography.
4. in basketball and similar sports, the action of moving the ball from one end of
in basketball and similar sports, the action of moving the ball from one end of the playing court to the other, especially when a single player runs the full length of the court without passing.
Noa grabbed the rebound and went coast to coast for an easy layup.
went coast to coast for [shot type]
The point guard dribbled coast to coast in under six seconds, leaving the defenders behind.
Yara's coast-to-coast drive earned her the title of most valuable player of the game.
Fans cheered as the rookie made a stunning coast-to-coast play in the final quarter.
文法句型
coast to coast (in basketball)
go coast to coast
用法筆記
Strictly confined to sports commentary and writing, most often about basketball. The phrase describes a single player carrying or dribbling the ball the full length of the court.
coast — verb
1. to continue moving in a car, bike, or other machine when the motor is turned off
to continue moving in a car, bike, or other machine when the motor is turned off or the pedals are still, relying on the vehicle's existing momentum rather than power, especially when going downhill.
Priya turned off the engine and let the car coast down the long hill into the valley.
coast down [hill/slope]
The cyclist stopped pedalling and coasted along the flat road until the bike came to a stop.
When the fuel ran out, the pilot had to coast the small plane toward the nearest airfield.
Tariq coasted his bicycle all the way from the top of the hill to the school gates.
- accelerate
to increase speed using the engine or pedals
文法句型
coast down + [hill/slope]
coast + [adverb of direction]
用法筆記
Primarily intransitive ('the car coasted down the hill'), but can be used transitively with a vehicle as object ('he coasted the bike to a stop') in informal speech.
常見錯誤
2. to glide downhill on a sled, skis, or bicycle without pushing or pedalling, carr
to glide downhill on a sled, skis, or bicycle without pushing or pedalling, carried along by gravity simply for the pleasure of the ride.
The children coasted down the snowy hill on their sleds, laughing all the way.
coasted down [surface] on [equipment]
Leila and her friends coasted down the grassy slope on pieces of cardboard.
Skiers coasted slowly down the beginner trail under the bright winter sun.
The snowboarder lost control while coasting down the steep mountain face.
- climb
to go upward, requiring effort
文法句型
coast down + [slope/hill]
coast + [adverb]
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with verb sense 1, but focuses on the human experience of sliding or gliding for recreation rather than the mechanical act of saving fuel. Often used in winter sports contexts.
3. to progress, succeed, or get through a situation with very little effort or diff
to progress, succeed, or get through a situation with very little effort or difficulty, often because of existing skills, advantages, or luck.
Beatriz was so good at maths that she could coast through the final exam without studying.
coast through [task/event]
After his promotion, Dimitri just coasted along and stopped trying to improve his work.
The veteran actor coasted to victory in the awards ceremony, winning three major prizes.
The team coasted through the first half of the season but struggled when opponents got tougher.
- sail through
similar meaning but more positive; suggests competence rather than laziness
- breeze through
very similar to 'coast through', but breezing implies speed while coasting implies lack of effort
- cruise
informal; suggests doing something with relaxed ease
文法句型
coast through + [task/situation]
coast along + [adverb]
coast to + [result]
用法筆記
This sense often carries a slightly negative tone — coasting implies that someone is using their natural ability instead of working hard, and may be criticised for not putting in enough effort. The pattern 'coast through + [task/period]' is the most common.