fling

verb

\ ˈfliŋ

flung\ˈfləŋ

\; flinging\ˈfliŋ-iŋ

Definition of fling

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to move in a brusque or headlong manner flung out of the room in a rage

2 of an animal : to kick or plunge vigorously

3 Scotland : caper

transitive verb

1a : to throw forcefully, impetuously, or casually flung herself down on the sofa clothes were flung on the floor

b : to cast as if by throwing flung off all restraint

2 : to place or send suddenly and unceremoniously (see unceremonious sense 2) was arrested and flung into prison

3 : to give unrestrainedly flung himself into music

fling

noun

Definition of fling (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act or instance of flinging

2a : a casual try or involvement

b : a casual or brief love affair

3 : a period devoted to self-indulgence

Other Words from fling Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fling

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Choose the Right Synonym for fling

Verb

throw, cast, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force. throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm. can throw a fastball and a curve cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering. cast it to the winds toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion. tossed the coat on the bed fling stresses a violent throwing. flung the ring back in his face hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight. hurled himself at the intruder pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target. pitch horseshoes sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim. slung the bag over his shoulder

Examples of fling in a Sentence

Verb

He flung his shoe across the room. She flung the door open and stormed into the room. They flung their hats into the air. She flung herself into his arms. He flung his arms around her. I flung back my head and laughed. He leaned back and flung his leg over the arm of the chair. She flung herself onto the couch.

Noun

She had a fling with her boss. They had time for one last fling before going back to school.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Places where our own love-hate relationship with wild animals flings open the door for the unexpected. — Aditi Shrikant, BostonGlobe.com, "When wild animals urbanize," 13 July 2018 Puig retrieved the one-out double and flung the ball home to keep Zobrist at third base. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Yasiel Puig’s play is not a pretty picture in 9-4 loss to Cubs," 27 June 2018 It was supposed to be the modern era, with doors flung open to unprecedented advancement for women and gender equality. — Allison Yarrow, Time, "How the ’90s Tricked Women Into Thinking They’d Gained Gender Equality," 13 June 2018 One exercise involves a robotic cage that flings balls from various angles for a player to control and pass. — The Economist, "What makes a country good at football?," 9 June 2018 Amanda is having dramatic notions of flinging a handful of ashes off the Golden Gate Bridge. — Laurie Eynon, ajc, "Personal Journeys: 100 places to scatter his ashes," 1 June 2018 Yet, for just a few seconds, the fox steadfastly held on before it was flung back onto the ground. — Kevin Ebi, National Geographic, "Bald Eagle Steals Dinner From Fox—by Flying Off With Both," 24 May 2018 The 5-foot-6 second baseman reached out his arms and flung the pitch to left field. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Jose Altuve comes up big in Astros' late comeback win over Angels," 16 May 2018 But that was before Aston-Reese slowly made his way off the ice, flinging one of his gloves at the Washington bench in frustration, his jaw mangled and his status for the rest of the postseason uncertain. — CBS News, "Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese breaks jaw in testy playoff loss to Capitals," 2 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The film stars Andrew Garfield as an L.A. resident who, after a one-night fling with a neighbor, wakes up the next day to find her missing. — Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, "A24 Pushes 'Under the Silver Lake' Release by Six Months," 1 June 2018 The sewage crisis has given Mia Mottley, the opposition leader, plenty of muck to fling. — The Economist, "Barbados’s mucky election," 24 May 2018 And who knows, maybe even a fling with Michelle Williams. — Alyssa Shelasky, The Cut, "5 New Yorkers on Their Experiences With Craigslist’s Missed Connections," 27 Mar. 2018 Looks like Kendall Jenner and Anwar Hadid‘s fling is over. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Anwar Hadid Moves on with French Model: There's 'No Awkwardness' with Kendall Jenner, Source Says," 20 June 2018 Profumo had several other flings, including one with a rumored Russian spy, who eventually went public with details of the affair. — Keith Flanagan, Town & Country, "Inside Cliveden House, the Hotel Where Meghan Markle Will Spend the Night Before Her Wedding," 14 May 2018 Ahead, find out what kind of summer fling is perfect for your sign (and don't forget to read for your moon, Venus, and Mars signs, too). — refinery29.com, "What Your Sign Looks For In A Summer Fling," 26 June 2018 Before the guys show up, though, Becca asks Tia about her fling with Colton. — Anna Moeslein, Glamour, "The Bachelorette Season 14 Episode 3 Recap: Why Is Everyone Getting Injured?," 11 June 2018 Shortly after Jakub Vrana scored the opening goal of Game 5 on a breakaway early in the second, Schmidt tied it when his fling toward the net deflected off a stick and again off Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen's skate. — Greg Beacham, Houston Chronicle, "Capitals defeat Golden Knights to earn first Stanley Cup in franchise history," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.