swimmingly
順調に
解説 Definition
物事が問題なく順調に進むさま。すべてがうまくいっている様子を表す。
Swimmingly means very smoothly and successfully, without problems. It is used to describe plans, work, or situations that are going well. This is an informal word and often sounds a little humorous or expressive.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
swim を知っていれば連想しやすい語です。水の中をすいすい進み、引っかからず前へ進む場面を思い浮かべると、「物事が問題なく順調に進む」という意味に結びつきます。副詞の -ly が付いているので、文では動詞を修飾して「順調に」を表す形だと押さえると定着しやすいです。よく go swimmingly の形で使い、計画・準備・交渉などが気持ちよく進む場面で出ます。smoothly も近いですが、swimmingly は全体がとても好調、という明るい響きが強めです。
You can see `swim` inside it. Imagine moving through water easily and smoothly, with nothing blocking you. That is why things that go `swimmingly` go very well, often in the phrase `go swimmingly`.
例文
The project is going swimmingly and we expect to finish ahead of schedule.
プロジェクトは順調に進んでおり、予定より早く完了する見込みだ。
Everything went swimmingly at the wedding despite the rain.
雨にもかかわらず、結婚式はすべて順調にいった。
The negotiations proceeded swimmingly once both sides agreed on the key terms.
双方が主要な条件に合意すると、交渉は順調に進んだ。
swimmingly の類義語・関連語
swimmingly の語源・成り立ち Etymology
swimmingly は古英語 swimman「泳ぐ」から来た swim に、状態を表す -ing と副詞語尾 -ly が重なった語です。swim や swimmer と同族で、「水の中をすいすい進むように」が転じて、物事が順調に進むさまを表します。
Swimmingly comes from swim, from Old English swimman, with the adverb-forming ending -ly built onto the participle form swimming. It originally suggested moving as smoothly as a swimmer through water. From that image, it came to mean that something goes very smoothly or without trouble.
外部辞書で調べる
この単語を英単語クイズで覚えよう