Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

swim upstream

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.47 in modern English

Syllables: swim up-stream
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

2

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To opt for a difficult course of action when a simpler or safer alternative is available; to make an unwise decision against sound advice.

Example Sentences

"I told my daughter to get her hair dyed at a salon, but she had to swim upstream and do it herself. Now it's a mess."

Inflected Forms

swims upstream (present, singular) swimming upstream (participle, present) swam upstream (past) swum upstream (participle, past)

Synonyms

do something the hard way

Questions

What does swim upstream mean?: To opt for a difficult course of action when a simpler or safer alternative is available; to make an unwise decision against sound advice.

How to pronounce swim upstream

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “swim upstream”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “swim upstream” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.