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Definition of fling verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fling

verb
 
/flɪŋ/
 
/flɪŋ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they fling
 
/flɪŋ/
 
/flɪŋ/
he / she / it flings
 
/flɪŋz/
 
/flɪŋz/
past simple flung
 
/flʌŋ/
 
/flʌŋ/
past participle flung
 
/flʌŋ/
 
/flʌŋ/
-ing form flinging
 
/ˈflɪŋɪŋ/
 
/ˈflɪŋɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. to throw or push somebody/something with force, especially because you are angry, or in a careless way synonym hurl
    • fling somebody/something + adv./prep. Someone had flung a brick through the window.
    • He flung his opponent to the ground.
    • I was flung forward by the impact.
    • I flung a few clothes into a bag.
    • He had his enemies flung into prison.
    • fling something + adj. The door was suddenly flung open.
    Synonyms throwthrowtoss hurl fling chuck lob bowl pitchThese words all mean to send something from your hand through the air.throw to send something from your hand or hands through the air:
    • Some kids were throwing stones at the window.
    • She threw the ball and he caught it.
    toss to throw something lightly or carelessly:
    • She tossed her jacket onto the bed.
    hurl to throw something violently in a particular direction:
    • Rioters hurled a brick through the car’s windscreen.
    fling to throw somebody/​something somewhere with a lot of force, especially because you are angry or in a hurry:
    • She flung the letter down onto the table.
    chuck (especially British English, informal) to throw something carelessly:
    • I chucked him the keys.
    lob (informal) to throw something so that it goes high through the air:
    • They were lobbing stones over the wall.
    bowl (in cricket) to throw the ball to the batterpitch (in baseball) to throw the ball to the batter
    Patterns
    • to throw/​toss/​hurl/​fling/​chuck/​lob/​bowl/​pitch something at/​to somebody/​something
    • to throw/​toss/​fling/​chuck something aside/​away
    • to throw/​toss/​hurl/​fling/​chuck/​lob/​bowl/​pitch a ball
    • to throw/​toss/​hurl/​fling/​chuck stones/​rocks/​a brick
    • to throw/​toss/​hurl/​fling something angrily
    • to throw/​toss something casually/​carelessly
    Extra Examples
    • She flung the letter down onto the table.
    • ‘Hey, catch!’ she said, flinging him a towel.
  2. fling yourself/something + adv./prep. to move yourself or part of your body suddenly and with a lot of force
    • She flung herself onto the bed.
    • He flung out an arm to stop her from falling.
  3. fling something (at somebody) | + speech to say something to somebody in an aggressive way synonym hurl
    • They were flinging insults at each other.
  4. see also far-flung
    Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘go violently’): perhaps related to Old Norse flengja ‘flog’. The main verb sense is based on an earlier sense ‘reckless movement of the body’ and dates from the early 19th cent.
See fling in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
generic
adjective
 
 
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