What it means
Coasting is when someone’s basically gliding on minimum effort because they can get away with it. They’re not fully slacking off, but they’re not pushing either, just cruising on old wins, decent ability, or a good rep while everyone else is actually putting a shift in. It usually lands as a mildly critical dig.
Usage examples
"Since the exams he’s been coasting at work, turning up, nodding in meetings, and living off last year’s wins while everyone else grafts."
"He's been coasting since the big project finished, doing just enough so nobody notices."
"The team was coasting on last year's success and got a nasty surprise at the review."
"You can tell she’s coasting this term, handing in just enough to stay out of trouble and calling it strategy."
"After he got promoted, he started coasting a bit, all big-smile meetings and not much actual graft."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from the literal verb coast, the thing a bike or car does when it keeps moving on built-up momentum without fresh effort. English pulled that image into everyday talk long ago, so if someone's coasting, they're still moving, just letting previous energy, talent, or advantage do the heavy lifting.
