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to zoom

to zoom

26 1.3
To move very quickly, often making a low buzzing sound
  • verb
  • /zuːm/
: pasar zumbando
  • I'll zoom like a rocket as fast as I can, now that I have my gloves and my fan.

And there's like a drone zooming around them and all this stuff going on.

Examples

  • Trees and ancient telephone poles zoomed past me in blurry, fast motion.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Their spacecraft is already zooming out of the solar system, heading high above the ecliptic.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Zoom into those trees, zoom all the way out.

  • But once I zoom you guys in, you'll see what I mean.

  • Now zoom in on the area of the heist.

  • We are flying over a landscape of memories, zooming across a constantly changing field of images.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • It zoomed right by, just the way they say it does.

  • The four Cobra helicopters zoom around the corner and into 5th Avenue.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Luke looks up in terror at the fighter zooming in at him, firing away.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The car zoomed past us on the highway, leaving a loud buzzing sound behind.

Synonyms

to swoosh
vsto zoom
3 5.6

To move quickly and make a soft rushing sound

is faster movement often described with a low humming instead of whistling
to whiz
vsto zoom
  • US
1 4.5

To move very quickly, often making a humming or hissing sound

is the same speed but stresses humming or buzzing specifically
to zing
vsto zoom
1 5.1

To move quickly while making a short, sharp sound

is more about fast travel with a steady humming rather than sharpness
to zoom along
vsto zoom
1 3.9

To move very quickly along a road or path

is about rapid movement often marked by a humming or buzzing sound
to whizz along
vsto zoom
  • UK
1 5.1

To move very fast, often making a soft rushing sound like a car or train

is similar but more often associated with a humming or buzzing noise
to voom
vsto zoom
9.9

To move very quickly and make a rushing sound

highlights fast travel with a lower humming or buzzing tone
to woosh
vsto zoom
  • Informal
7.9

To move very quickly and make a rushing sound

is similar but usually implies a lower humming or buzzing noise
to whush
vsto zoom
  • UK
8.6

To move quickly while making a soft rushing sound

is comparable but typically noted for a humming or buzzing sound
to whish
vsto zoom
8.2

To move quickly while making a soft rushing sound

is faster travel often described by a humming or buzzing noise

Antonyms

687 1.4

To move or act more slowly

207 3.7

To stay in a place longer than expected because you do not want to leave

19 2.7

A very slow movement, often of traffic or of a project

Phrasal Verbs

to zoom in
  • Texting
33 3.7

To look closely at one part to see small details

17 3.7

To pay close attention to one small part or detail

to zoom out
  • Informal
5 4.1

To look at a wider area to see the whole picture

To move very quickly along a road or path

to zoom in
  • Texting
1 3.0

Join a meeting using an online video call

Move the camera lens so the subject looks closer or farther

Compounds

zoom lens
  • Specialized
5 3.7

A camera lens that lets you make distant objects appear nearer without changing lenses

How Fast

to hurtle
19 6.8
to zoom
26 1.3
to dash
73 1.0
to run
∞ 1.0
to hurry
∞ 1.0
to walk
∞ 1.0
to crawl
406 1.0

Surface Forms

zoom infinitive
zoomed past
zoomed past participle
zooming present participle
zooms third person singular

Etymology

Zoom meaning to move very quickly with a humming or buzzing sound comes from the imitated sound 'zoom', like a motorcycle or a bee, so we say things 'zoom' by when they move fast and make that noise.