to swim upstream
4
5.3
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
nadar contra corriente
- Salinas realizes that he is swimming upstream against a tradition of state control of the economy and a preference for distant relations with his neighbors.
- salmon swimming upstream
- fish swimming upstream
- swimming upstream to spawn
So the the salmon, they, they swim upstream to spawn, you know, to reproduce.
- So the the salmon, they, they swim upstream to spawn, you know, to reproduce.
- Trust is relatively fragile, and that's why we're sort of swimming upstream when we try to fight against cynicism.
- When you short sell, it's a little bit like swimming upstream.
- You know, I think prevention should always swim upstream, right?
- Short selling is thus a bit like swimming upstream.
- I think it was GK Chesterton said that a dead thing, only a living thing can swim upstream.
- I love Austin as a city, and it seems like that is swimming upstream against structurally what's happening in education.
- And and I, I really thank you for your commitment and conviction and, and the choices that you've made to swim upstream.
- Now, what we are allowed to do is to recruit locals that are on the fringe of narcotics and teach them how to swim upstream.
Examples
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After losing the match, the team felt like they were swimming upstream against the tide of public opinion.
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You kind of swim upstream and figure out where this stuff is coming from.
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"But what we have to recognize is that he is swimming upstream," Scott says.
Blog text (6) -
So yeah, changing your lifestyle will be hard given that you have to swim upstream to do it.
Blog text (28) -
It feels like you're always swimming upstream instead of moving with the current.
Blog text (23) -
Trust is relatively fragile, and that's why we're sort of swimming upstream when we try to fight against cynicism.
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It often feels like we're swimming upstream when trying to make positive changes in a resistant community.
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She decided to swim upstream and pursue her dreams despite the many challenges she faced.
Synonyms
To move forward despite strong opposition or many difficulties
Antonyms
How Difficult
- Informal
4
5.3
97
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense 'to move against the current' is directly and compositionally derived from 'swim' (move through water) + 'upstream' (against the flow), so learners who know both words will understand the primary meaning. The figurative meaning 'to persist despite opposition' is a straightforward, transparent metaphorical extension (going against the current = facing resistance) that is common cross-linguistically and thus generally predictable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Swim upstream comes from watching fish like salmon swim up a river, moving upstream against a strong current. That's why it means 'to persist' or keep going when things are against you.