coasting

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of coast

plural coastings

1. countableuncountableThe act of sailing along a coast, or from port to port.

   Glory be to God, all sublunary coastings will soon be over. Yet a little while, and we shall get into an eternal harbour.

   1772, A Select Collection of Letters of the Late Reverend George Whitefield, page 390

   1 more example

   She had been lying quietly in the harbour and making little coasting trips ever since we arrived in her twelve months before.

   1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 125

2. countableuncountableThe act of disengaging the gears of a moving vehicle and rolling along without the use of engine power.

   Avanti West Coast has introduced the use of coasting with its Pendolino fleet, in an effort to keep disruption during overhead line equipment failures to a minimum. [...] The Class 390s coasted for three miles without power between Harrow & Wealdstone and Wembley Central, running under damaged OLE.

   2020 September 23, “Network News: AWC employs coasting to minimise disruption”, in Rail, page 26

3. countableuncountablemedicineA progression of symptoms after treatment, before gradual improvement begins.
4. countableuncountableDrinking nolo drinks so as to imbibe less alcohol while still enjoying tippling.First known use 2020s

   1 more example

   Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations often used to result in a hangover, but with moderation now the order of the day the new drinks industry buzzword is "coasting". This involves choosing a white wine, lager or even a cocktail that is about half the strength of the traditional version — meaning you can have the same number of drinks without feeling the worse for wear. Vanessa Pearson, Ocado Retail's trading manager for beers, wines and spirits, credits "coasting" for a "huge increase in customer interest in mid-strength wine". In 2025 its sales of these types of wines soared 4,000% as the new category gained ground. "Mid-strength" drinks occupy the middle ground between no and low-alcohol (nolo) and standard options, and such beers and ciders are about 2-3% alcohol by volume, wines 3-9% and spirits 15-20%. The advent of coasting chimes with data showing Britons are drinking less alcohol than before. The average UK adult consumed 10.2 alcoholic drinks a week in 2024, according to the latest figures from the drinks industry data company IWSR. This is the lowest figure since data collection began in 1990 and down from a high of 14 weekly drinks two decades ago. However, total abstention is not on the rise despite the decline in consumption, which suggests more cautious drinking habits.

   2025 December 31, Zoe Wood, “Drinkers turn to low-alcohol beverages so they can 'coast' through season”, in The Guardian, page 3